Skull Heart Chronicles, Part 2: Bloody Rebellion
by ReapingRose115
Summary: Make a wish... Nearly a year had passed, it seems as though that peace has prevailed. Unfortunately, the Reapers now find themselves preparing for a new threat, as strange events occur in New Meridian. Perhaps an Unholy Alliance has formed a force far deadlier than before. But the unexpected heroes of Light, Darkness, Fire and Blood, have emerged. Ladies and Gentleman: SHOWTIME
1. Chapter 1: Scarlet Prelude

Nearly a year had passed since 'Operation: Heartbreaker', life had returned to relative normality for many. The Canopian populace had returned to their homes, and the ones that lost their homes settled in the ruins of their former residence. Of course, they weren't ignored; thanks to the combined support from the other nations, the Egrets were able to help rebuild most of New Meridian. Some have taken to Little Innsmouth, which was expanded without trouble since the presence of the Medici's had finally been removed.

The former Medici tower had been repurposed into the primary HQ for the Egrets and Reaping Roses for operations in the Canopy Kingdom. The building literally towered almost all of the Canopy Kingdom, a giant among dwarfs. Size alone was one of its biggest advantages, allowing many soldiers to station themselves here, among a variety of other reasons it was repurposed.

Its gigantic size allowed use of an updated GeoScape system; allowing faster connections across a multitude of satellites in orbit, and quick relay of information. Of course, being the primary battle ground for the 'Operation', it required the most work, with long hours day and night for hundreds and thousands of soldiers refurbishing the building. Alas, many more pledged their numbers to the rest of the city.

Bastet's Den, being the centre of one fight and an attempted opening for Stygians, it was handled primarily by Reapers, who had previously left 'Eliza' there. Unfortunately, she went missing, but for the next few weeks, the building and surrounding areas were locked down for further processing, before deciding that they wouldn't be able to find her. Instead, the building was refurbished, returning the beautiful bar to its former glory, with a new, undisclosed owner.

Eventually, the owner opened a joint venture to the likes of the former Cirque Des Cartes, who became hosts to the many performances, and guest appearances from many other talents! Cerebella and Nadia Fortune contributed to some of the more dynamic performances, but they were always happy to invite guests, especially the likes of Opera singer Sienna Contiello. Sienna however had a knack for showing musical talents elsewhere, and didn't shy away from a little rock!

Of course, down at Little Innsmouth, Yu Wan continued to run his restaurant. Being very close to the likes of the Reapers, his business bloomed with customers coming left and right! Of course, Minette (and Ms Fortune with Cerebella when they weren't busy) handled the masses of hungry patrons. Kazuo was able to get one of his cousins a job as a secondary waiter and cook, which of course meant a lot to Yu Wan and Minette.

The former Trinity Cathedral and the surrounding area had been quarantined for several weeks after the damage had been done. Reapers investigated the catacombs of said Cathedral, discovering a vast network of 'veins' that had been rooted deep into the city. Most of these plant-like veins had rotted away, some were nests to piles of bones and whole skeletons. There were even more derelict forms of corpses and bone, but the investigation from the newly introduced 'ASGT' (Anti-Skull Girl Team) continues. Progress had been slow, even with new technological advancements.

The ASGT was formed in honour of Dr Avian, who has not been found, nor declared dead. Unlike the former ASG Labs, the ASGT runs under a united department, and is heavily monitored by both Reapers and Egrets. They didn't want to have another 'Lab-0', but they were also trying to push towards using artificial parasites to volunteers only, but overall the ASGT prefer to use advanced equipment, such as combat-exosuits.

As for the heroes who've put all their effort into defeating the previous Skullgirl, their lives continued on. As always, they were never revealed to the public, but the Canopians and surrounding nations have praised their actions. The popularity of these 'heroes' have become so widespread, that an annual parade was introduced on the fiftieth of January. Most believe that the celebration was formed both to honour the soldiers, and celebrate the end of the Medici mafia.

Speaking of the parade, it grows ever so close to that day. The second annual 'Heroes' parade is just five days away. A new adventure awaits.

* * *

"I'm home!" Sienna called out as she hung her coat up on the stand left side of the door. She had taken to the Redgrave office very well, despite being smaller than the Mansion back at New Kord. There were times where she and Micheal would happily stay at the Mansion, but nothing could compare to the cosy feeling of this small office.

Leviathan was slouched atop his host's head, groaning after another long day. While Sienna was an official Private Eye (and Combat Medic), she found a career performing within several different Opera theatres. She would've loved her parents to see her, make them proud. Killing rogue stray demons and other forms of preternaturals? Probably not so much. Leviathan acted as her microphone, and at times was even a supporting vocalist, owing to his deep voice and ability to manipulate both his and Sienna's.

Due to her 'Part-Time' job as a PI, and being on the list of 'Reserves' (to avoid revealing her involvement with Reapers), her contract with different shows would strain most. For the past year however, she has energy to spare, with her swords power partially attaching itself to Contiello, and the fact that Moka had went as far as installing an 'enhancement processor'. It helped her to think faster, take in information quicker and remember things efficiently. Combine the perks of both, she needed less rest than she would've needed as a normal person.

Still, nothing beats a good nap! Today was a good day! "Leviathan, you feeling out of it?"

"Hmm…? Oh… I'm fine M'lady."

"You've barely slept these past few days. Why don't you take a nice long rest?"

The parasite wanted to argue, but again he yawned. The offer seemed like a Godsend, and as much as he didn't want to leave his host alone, he'll accept the offer. "Wake me up soon… We'-aaahhhahh…" Barely slipping out of Sienna's head, he fell asleep upon her shoulder.

Squigly shook her head. "Oh Levi…" Cradling him in her arms, she brought him over to his favourite spot to sleep in: a pile of coats messily pooled together. "Even with all those years of sleep, we can't help ourselves…"

Her trail of thought was interrupted when the office phone rang. The phone was an antique corded roulette, gold plated around the number pad and main handset. Though it must've been expensive to procure, Nikki, and everyone else in office just happen to abuse it. Sienna herself isn't hesitant about being a little rough when handling the handset. More or less, Nikki prefers direct contact using this simple phone rather than the standard PDA, despite its security flaws.

As always, the chair was either misplaced or had fallen on its side by the time she returns. This time, it was on its side. Kicking the wooden seat, it flipped back up into place, and the moment it had set itself back up, Sienna took a seat. Slamming her feet on the desk, the force was enough to send the handset off of the phone, and Squigly still barely caught the phone which had flown to her left. Clearing her throat: "Redgrave Office. I'm sorry, but unfortunately we close at nine." Looking at the clock besides her, the short hand barely struck said time.

"Oxfords. Not brogues." A familiar deep sounding voice with a strong twang of an 'Eastern Canopian' accent. The same voice of a Captain that helped her very much…

Smiling, the Opera singing PI relaxed herself in her seat. "Nice to hear from you Kazuo."

"I was that obvious huh?"

"All I needed to hear was the voice…" A thought struck her mind: 'How difficult would it have been to speak to someone on the phone with a stitched mouth?' That was in the past now, and gladly so. "What's on your mind?"

"The parade is pretty much the only thing on my mind." He had plans to bring as many of the Juniors over to New Meridian, and book a hotel to see the celebrations first hand! "Man, I've pretty much got it all sorted out."

"Good! We better be a part of those plans."

"And would the couple like a room to themselves?" Kazuo said, the question was entirely rhetorical, but nonetheless made Contiello's pale skin flush a glowing red. He didn't even need to see it to know how she felt. "I won't press further into the matter."

Contiello chuckled again, albeit nervously. "P-please… I didn't tell you and Filia about 'it' for you to make fun of." Then again, Kazuo himself probably had to go through the same problem at one point in his life.

"I promise."

"Really?"

"Have I ever let you guys down before?" He asked. Sienna sighed and nodded. So far, Kazuo hadn't failed a promise before, so she'll just have to trust him for now. "Oh, by the way, you hear the news about the two newbies coming up?"

It didn't ring a bell for Contiello. "Any idea who we're getting?"

Foxhound hummed on the other end of the line. "Not that I know about. But I think one of them is from the Chess Kingdom."

"Hmm, interesting." There were very few Chessian Reaper members, mainly because most base of operations are held at New Kord and the Canopian Kingdom. Kizza commonly takes his operations there, and from time, would invite Micheal, Nikki or even Contiello. Seeing it up front, it's a very different place: while technology had also advanced there, buildings were strangely old fashioned or hadn't been modernized. It gave an extreme regal feel, and even the Chessians were proud about their architectural work.

New buildings were built on the same principles as old ones: large use of concrete, marble and grey cement building blocks. The populace were almost as regal as the buildings, preferring to wear less urban-like garments, most Chessians wore suits and expensive dresses and coats. Mason comments her distaste for the Chess Kingdom's populace's fashion sense and social standards. Most were too afraid to raise a fist to fight for themselves, and most often make fun of other nations.

Regardless, she would love to visit again, but Sienna wanted to see the Gigan Nation and Dragon Empire.

Squigly nodded to herself. "Let's just hope this new one isn't an ass."

"Here's hoping too… But, I'll speak to you soon! If you see Filia or anyone else, send them a shout from me!"

Sienna nodded, even as she knew Kazuo wouldn't have seen it. "Speak to you soon." Gently resting the handset back onto the phone, she relaxed herself as she sat comfortably.

The door to the office opened, as per policy, Redgrave's doors are always open, and it's the service that's not. If it were to be another Reaper or a very close associate, then its employees can work out of hours. Don't expect any pay however… Luckily for Sienna, it wasn't a customer, but a good friend.

Dark skin, mint green hair (which used to be in a ponytail, and now was cut down short to chin length), purple eyes, and wearing a formal suit. "Sorry I'm late. I brought the Pizzas, no olives!" The guest let herself in, setting the pizza boxes on the desk, whilst keeping one for herself. She took a seat on the pool table, setting her pizza box by her side. "I would've made it earlier, but the club's always getting busy. You know how the other guys need a hand."

"That's fine. I didn't make it in 'til just a few minutes ago." Sienna assured, leaning forwards to open her pizza box. Tonight's menu: stuffed crust 'pollo' pizza.

"Don't you get fed up of pizza?"

Surprisingly, since she had moved in with the likes of Nikki, she enjoyed it far too much. Of course, the occasional steak or visit to Innsmouth was nice, Squigly found herself liking the unhealthy combination of bread, tomato sauce, cheese and other toppings. Lifting it up, the slice dangled above her head. "Perhaps I could try a calzone…" In essence, both were of the same thing, so really it made little difference.

"Pfft. Nikki's habits are growing on you."

Sienna smiled as she happily took a bite of her slice. "Mmm-hmm… Mmphmm… What did you get, Cerebella?"

"Pepperoni." She shrugged. "I was feeling simple today."

There was a moment of silence as the two peacefully chomped on their meals. Indeed, things have changed since what happened. With the Medici's gone, the Cirque Des Cartes did not have to serve their cause or hide any longer. As for some of the few surviving Medici's, Vitale was found very easily, and Cerebella personally saw to it his trial. With Miss Victoria's evidence, which in turn once belonged Selene, it was enough to incarcerate all but one Medici. Lorenzo was still missing, but of course, he wasn't of any worry for now.

One of Nikki's friend's, Gabriel, helped Cerebella acquire Bastet's Den. Since Eliza went missing and because of the damage it took, it was put on sale for a bargain price. Thereafter, the former group began their new life as owners of this popular club! The hard work was making sure that renovations went smoothly, but Takamichi was one to help with that, as he knew a high profile architect and its partner company which handled building and construction work.

It took several months to finish planned renovations and organisation. During that time, Cerebella lived at Little Innsmouth with the likes of Feng, and of course, Nadia as roommates. It goes to show that former enemies can forgive each other, especially when Fortune is mostly seen with the former acrobat (who is now a club owner). The club owner continues to deny any form of relationship other than a platonic one existed.

Being close friends, Sienna knew very well that it's 'complicated'. Regardless, whether the two decide to ruin their friendship for a real relationship, or stop fooling around and stay friends, it's up to them.

"So, how's Micheal?"

"I don't think you need to ask." Squigly smirked.

"You didn't… Did you!?"

She hid her flushing cheeks. "Well. Kind of…"

"Details!"

"Where do I begin…?" She asked herself… Tapping her nose, she smiled impishly. "How about we talk about it next time? Perhaps during the Parade?"

"You're so mean!" Cerebella jokingly said, playfully flicking a slice of cooked salami from her pizza at her friend. Squigly responded in kind by throwing a slice of chicken breast at the club owner. "Man oh man… Can't wait! Hotel California is quite popular!"

"Where did the name California even come from…? Ah whatever. I remember the first night Micheal and I met. We stayed there the night." That same night, they were shot at by the Medici's former mercenary group, Voltage. Having to hear the familiar constant chatter of a gun's bolt smacking against itself, accompanied by a slew of consistent crashing thunder… She can only thank the Junior PI for helping her overcome her fear.

He even bought her a yellow dress, one she still keeps, folded and stored within her wardrobe. Even though she doesn't wear it on an extensive basis, it is a weekly ritual to wash it every Saturday, and groom it at Sunday morning.

The two continued to converse, laughing and smiling through the whole way. "You two are like a fairy tale couple!"

"Not so sure. I'm the one who usually is in charge of his antics." She nodded to herself. "I'm also in charge of Marcus, considering they're both on my team."

Cerebella stretched her arms out. "That's awesome. You guys make a great team."

"Yeah…" The though subsided when something else popped to mind, and the feeling in her spine tingled to a strange sensation, similar to the one that she had felt years ago. It was faint, but she could remember it regardless. "You know, something has been bothering me…"

"What?"

"Where did Neferu go…?"

"Eliza?" The thought hadn't come to mind in a while. But then again, it was Eliza who nearly caused a secondary outbreak of demons. Where she is right now, no one knew.

* * *

Looking herself in the mirror, 'Eliza' fitted on her custom cap, swiping at its edge, she smiled. "Look at me, all gorgeous!" For being an accidental 'clone' of the real Eliza, AKA, Neferu, this Eliza appreciated that she had the looks. At the same time, she was still jealous that she had no powers to work with, but she couldn't care less.

For the past few months, she had been staying in the outskirts of Innsmouth, with the likes of DL and her 'Covert Posse' as she likes to refer to them. While she can't allow herself to be in the public eye for long, her different fashion sense from the original Eliza helped her remain unnoticed for the most part. On a daily basis, she likes to wear this given uniform, though the occasional casual t-shirt and denim jeans comes into play here and there.

Whilst under DL's roof, she had learned a thing or two about brawling, and certainly got as much information about her 'real' self. Neferu had blood based powers, and her entire figure besides the theon residing within was blood. As for the doppelganger, she was as mortal as most are, but she didn't know why the vixen sees something in her. To the normal eye, DL was a normal feral vixen, but Eliza knew that she was far more than that.

Training under her guidance, she found herself beaten very easily by the feral, who simply tapped or flicked at her at the force of a full-fledged punch! The vixen's prowess is enough to smash through a block of thick titanium the width of a pillar. Breaking through a pillar requires an excessive amount of strength, but if DL could pull that off with titanium, what can't she do? Of course, her immense strength, while an amazing talent, probably wouldn't be enough to win against monstrous demons and preternaturals. Well, to anyone's surprise, she had brute forced her way through even the dirtiest of fights.

Past few weeks however had been quiet. With Egrets going on patrol to secure the routes for the parades, rogue preternaturals couldn't risk being discovered. For now, they've kept a close eye out on what's happening out in the Canopy Kingdom. The real Eliza was out there, and what she was plotting, couldn't be good news.

Leaving the bathroom, she bumped in to an albino feral cat, with a blued fringe and blood red eyes. "Whoa, sorry there lover boy."

"Nah, it's fine."

The dark skinned doppelganger smiled, but then noticed the frown upon her friend's face. The parade down at New Meridian was about to take place, and of course, a lot of his friends would be there. None of them knew that Dimitri was really alive… "Are you… Gonna be okay?"

The feral nodded. "I'll be fine."

"I don't know how it feels to be put in this kinda situation. But I'm around if you need some support. Hmm?"

"Thanks 'Liza…" Past few months, Dima and the others had been the only ones she could rely on. If it weren't for the likes of Horus, Albus, Dima, DL and a few others they speak to, she wouldn't have made it out there. It's only fair to be there for them as well. They were as good as friends should be.

Eliza smiled. "Anyways. Let's go see the Boss." Patting the shorter feral on the head, she laughed. "Can't always hold yourself down."

Dima folded his arms, smiling back. "You really are different to that 'other' Eliza."

"Gladly so."

Making their way to the living room, they saw DL with the other two, playing a friendly game of poker. Knowing the vixen, she was probably losing.

"I'll raise." Albus said.

Horus shook his head and folded his cards. Diana-Linda simply smiled. "All in!"

"You're gonna regret that…" The jackal smiled deviously. Throwing his hand on the table, he revealed his set: "Full house!"

Diana-Linda winked. "Oh Albus…" Throwing her hand on the table, she revealed a royal straight flush! "Read 'em and weep!"

"First time you actually won a game." Horus noted. The whole match, the vixen had called every hand, and lost every hand. Luckily, none of the players made high rises. In essence, it was pure dumb luck that she was able to win this time around.

The jackal shrugged. "Hey, you win some, you lose some." Not looking at the two who'd just entered the room, he still gave a thumbs up to greet them. "Mornin'!"

"Glad to see that you two are awake." Horus said, adjusting his glasses as he and Diana-Linda went for a 'five-o' showdown. "New addition to the blazer, I assume?" The owl asked when he noticed an odd looking hieroglyphic on her breast pocket. It was a gold badge, shaped into an eye of sorts. This Eliza may not have the fashion sense of the 'original' diva, but this new look said a lot about her. For weeks, she would go on wearing identical garments consisting of a blue blazer, a set of blue trousers and blue dress pants with the aforementioned cap.

Of course, she wouldn't stay plain boring. With each blazer, they each had different sets of customisations, ranging from her first blazer which sported a thick golden chain that looped through her left collar, whilst another would have a similar chain, but also a large imprint of a feline Nilian Deity, sometimes the cuffs were sewn with bright colours. For her dress pants, the changes were minor, ranging from a different belt with a range of chequered patterns, or that they had matching ankle cuffs with her blazer.

Underneath her blazer was a simple pink vest, and for her shoes, mostly unchanged. From the first set, she continued to order in similar blazers and trousers, and with each one she spent some time figuring how to make it look 'prettier'. But the cap is the only thing she would not buy another of. The thorny flower upon the gold plate is something she cherishes, and Eliza would never remove her hat from the start of the day, until the end.

For Albus, she reminded him of some sort of 'Animu' character or something. Though he was a man, and didn't have her exotic dark skin. It does make her blend in with the two however since they wore suits on a daily basis. If only she traded the vest for a pink shirt and tie, she would've been the perfect match to create a trio! One thing was for sure: her voluptuous figure must strain her at the worst of times; so far so good however.

This Eliza certainly had strength. Her arms and legs had visible muscles, and her abdomen was blessed with natural 'packs', though she still remained fairly slim. Most of her athletically toned body was hidden behind the uniform. When comparing Eliza to DL, the vixen was bulkier for sure, though nothing that wouldn't be seen as abnormal to most. Most fox ferals were relatively slim, a testament to their speed and cunning capabilities. DL did not embody cunning speed as most vixens and vulpine.

As compensation, DL was strong, as mentioned. Her strength may be disproportionate to her mass, but that's not a bad thing at the least. Dima however was the smallest of the group, being shorter than the vixen, and just as thin as the doppelganger. Only DL has seen his handy work up front however, and she likes to put a good word about the feline feral hybrid.

"What's up?" Dima asked, taking a seat close by the table.

Taking her hand, Diana-Linda shrugged her shoulders. "Just taking a break. Once I'm done here, I'll speak to you two about you two. I have an 'assignment' for you. "

"Yes ma'am." Dima nodded. "Don't worry. It'll be fine! This'll be easy, just like training."

Eliza also nodded, though she had never been given an 'assignment' before, she trusted the feline's judgement. Though he may not have told the truth to his friends about his predicament, he wasn't a liar out of choice. "So what's the scoop?"

"A Private School, opened up a couple months ago, downtown New Meridian."

"What's up there?" Dima asked.

"A series of bizarre events, from missing students to strange 'light' and 'feelings' people experience that happen out of random. There is a possibility that the Reapers will send some of their finest to look in to it… So you two are not going in as Ops."

Eliza nodded, adjusting her hat once more. "So what, we going in as a Janitor or something?"

DL shook her head. "How good are you with Nilian History?"

* * *

Fold after fold, Micheal took to packing away his garments for the next few days. Staying at Hotel California, formally 'De Santa', the others were to be there as well. Rummaging through his wardrobe, he found a small box sitting under a pair of denim jeans. Sighing to himself, he opened the small box, cautiously, as to not reveal its contents to anyone else.

Within, its contents sparkled and glimmered at the sunlight that shone through the window behind him. Its round, thin doughnut-like shape, the miniscule but valuable set piece… "Okay… Gotta ask… Gotta ask her…" This small little 'thing' was a key to a lock, one that he hoped would fit perfectly. It had been some time since they have met, and there hadn't been a moment of regret. The small arguments here and there, playful at best, personal at worse.

Of course, he seconded himself to Contiello, to which she wonders: 'Why do you leave me in charge all the time?' They were both voices of reason, and listened thoroughly to each other… But he felt that she made better decisions, and thought ahead in a lot of things. That wasn't a gripe of his, rather, he felt content with this way of life, and perhaps Sienna was at peace with this as well. A bizarre relationship, and how it began was strange itself.

Everything felt as if he was sitting atop cloud nine, his body and soul both were stable ships that sailed stably with Sienna guiding. His heart was a plane being escorted to the end of its path by a helpful dragon. There was always turbulence from time to time, the ships did collide with a few icebergs, and the clouds became a little worn out from its fluffy nature. That didn't mean the plane would crash, the ships remained afloat and the cloud didn't pop, it returned to pillow form eventually. What else was there to say? He was happy with the way things were…

Pocketing the small box into his inner coat pocket, Micheal cleared his throat as he returned to packing clothes for the week. Stuffing the last pair of denim jeans into his luggage, he was interrupted when the door behind him opened. Turning back, he smiled as Contiello waved at him, smiling as always. Leviathan was again dug in to her head, though rested himself on her shoulders.

"We should be heading out soon." Leviathan reminded the two.  
Micheal nodded. "Yes. Lemme just finish up here."  
"Sure." She smiled. "It's feels like it's been a while since I've seen the others."

The drake nodded. "Hard work can make it difficult to keep track of the others." He nodded to himself. "Let's make the most of the week."

Micheal smirked. "Yes. We will." He declared, Sienna impishly smiling back at him. Sienna left him to pack, and sure enough, he had already filled his luggage with enough garments to last him the planned out holiday. "Should be enough."

With Contiello, she was interrupted from leaving the office by Nikki, who tapped her on the shoulder. Wearing the usual red, accented coat, she swayed her hair aside. "Can't letcha leave without picking up something first."

"Hmm? I got a package?"

Mason turned Squigly towards the office table, but there was nothing of interest there. "Alright. No peaking, the both of you." The theon agreed, but playfully blew a raspberry. Turning away, the two could only hear large, heavy and metallic dragging across the plywood floor. Suddenly, it stopped. "Okay, you two ready for this?" Mason asked as she returned to holding Sienna from her shoulder.

The Opera singer chuckled. "Can I see it now?"

"Alright… Have a look." Nikki urged as she turned the two to view the mysterious package.

It wasn't small to say the least. What Nikki dragged in was large metallic box with the Reaper's insignia upon it. Sienna had seen several of these before, and can be used to carry a variety of things without fear of damage. The box, known as the 'Mystery Box' to some, is reinforced and padded to absorb shock damage. Did Reala send this?

Nikki urged the Opera Singer forwards, and sat back on the desk as she watched as Leviathan removed the padlock, and Sienna approaching. Throwing the cover over, she gasped at its contents… Sleek, bulky, sharp and silver, with a closed hilt shaped with an insignia of a musical note, it was a claymore sword! It almost resembled Nikki's own Legacy sword, but the skull on her sword was of course changed to fit Sienna's interests. It now resembled a musical note instead.

Taking it to hand, the length of the sword would compare from her chest to her ankles. The weight of the sword didn't play to its size however, since she could lift it with barely any effort, or perhaps it's just that Contiello's natural strength had increased? To compliment the weapon, was a large guitar bag, engraved with 'CONTIELLO'.

"Nikki… I can't possibly take this."

"I didn't make this for nothing kid. I spent a great deal forging this. It's yours."

Sienna looked at the blade once more. It definitely had character, one that probably would mesh with her own. But even so, she sighed. "First Ketsueki, and this…?" Knowing where the katana came from, she felt guilty to use it, but now that Mason gave her another weapon, it felt like she was privileged.

Mason shook her head. "They're both yours. I'm done holding that katana, and this is definitely yours. It's my blessing."

Contiello inspected the sword once more, closely looking at the sharp blade… After a moment, she nodded to herself as she gently fitted the sword back into its crate. "Just keep it safe for me until I get back." In a way, despite having little exposure to her new weapon, already she felt guilty for hiding it back into the box.

"Yeah. I will." She nodded to herself. "Don't rush yourselves. I'm getting Carol, and the rookie from Filia's team, Patrick, to cover." She trusted their judgement. But she also had another task at hand, showing the ropes to the 'newbie'. For now, she helped her son and future daughter in-law move their luggage into a black 4x4 SUV.

As she worked on fitting the bags in, she noticed that Sienna still had her holsters strapped on, with her guns 'Treble' and 'Bass' sitting comfortably within them. Knowing how Sienna previously met her fate, the fact that she is confident in carrying not one, but two firearms meant that she hadn't any reason to fear them as much. Perhaps putting her through hell during the Reapers first encounter with a Skullgirl had enough gunfire to drown out her fears. "It's time to go."

"I'll see you in a while." Sienna smiled.

* * *

Three days since she had arrived at the hotel, Squigly woke again late at night. Micheal was still asleep to her right. Slowly slipping out of the covers, she planted her feet to the floor and stood from the bed, slowly. She didn't want to wake him, not after all the 'effort' he put in earlier. The thought alone had her cheeks flushing red, but regardless, she couldn't sleep. Perhaps the others were awake too. If not, the Hotel should have something that she can do…

But now she encountered a few problems: One, where the hell were the clothes she threw to the floor!? They couldn't have went missing, she knew she threw them there! She scurried and kept her eyes peeled, looking under the bed, all around the floor and eventually, under the wardrobe. Well, she did find her t-shirt. Perhaps it was best to just get a fresh pair of garments instead…

Problem Two: She was hungry. Hungrier than usual. Well, it couldn't be helped, what she and Micheal indulged in would definitely leave the two drained, and food was one thing she could work with. Final problem… A small box… She wouldn't have noticed it had she not looked under the bed from its right side, where Micheal's coat lie. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what it was. Right under her nose, Micheal had it, and it only made his efforts to please her feel more genuine.

Having found a fresh pair of clothes, from the casual t-shirt to the loose baggy denim jeans, she took the room's keycard from the small coffee table beside the bed, taking to the door, tip toeing slowly… Taking one short glance back, she smiled at the sight of Micheal fast asleep… "Sweet dreams…" Also, she didn't forget to bring her trusty handguns, and mounted two concealed holsters behind her back, hidden by the t-shirt and denim jeans.

Once out of the door, she looked at the hallway. It was somewhat memorable, mainly because she had been through here in the past, when she had first met Mason-Fox. The difference was that instead of sleeping in their own beds, they snuggled with each other tightly, and didn't have to worry about anything other than enjoying themselves for the next couple of days.

From that moment on, she had accepted that this was beyond a simple crush. The hardships they had faced, the times they have leaned heads on each other's shoulders, from the pecks on the cheeks to overwhelming holds of desire… It was fire forged.

The thought had to be aside for now. Taking to the elevator, she reached out for the call, only to be interrupted by a woman who had pressed the button before her. "Oh, my apologies." There was a short moment of contact, but Sienna still retracted fully, trying to keep a straight face as not to offend the person. Turning to the woman, she noticed that she was a feral, a red furred vixen at that.

The vixen smiled. "Nah it's fine…" Her smile… There was something unearthly about it, but it was also welcoming. This kind of smile is the kind she'd expect from a friend meeting a friend, and being awfully happy about it. Perhaps she was looking into too much detail, or perhaps she looked at things incorrectly and thought wrong, deceiving herself. Trying not to make her curiosity obvious, she turned to the still closed elevator doors, hoping they'd open anytime soon so that the two can take their leave.

Thankfully, they did, but of course the both of them would be taking this elevator. Closest to the panel, she turned to the vixen. Even briefly, she could see that she was just slightly taller than she, and even her heavy looking jacket did little to hide her bulky build. "Which floor are you heading to?"

"Basement. I'm looking to visit a private game in the Casino. A game of poker, if you will."

"Private game you say?" Sienna asked, intrigued. There were the few games of poker she shared with the family, and Nikki seemed to have the worst of luck. But then the last game they played, there was mention that poker players have been mysteriously dying, especially at private establishments such as casinos, cruises and the sort. "Hot game tonight?"

The vixen smiled. "They say it's to die for…" The vixen sarcastically remarked, though in a way, it was chilling to hear. From the rolling eyes and exaggerated tone, there was some truth behind it. "Buy in is pretty tight tonight."

"Hmm…" Sienna took a moment to consider the situation. Most likely this was another simple game, and perhaps not. Going back to the mystery of the poker players who have died, they all perished one way or the other, and the only thing to link their deaths together was the sole fact that the players were losers. Their said deaths however were from 'natural' or accidental causes. It went around as 'The Card Curse', and very much so.

If none of the players were outright murdered, that could very well mean that there is something amiss, perhaps someone holding puppets by a string. Could this woman be that person? That confident smile could've been all she needed, but for everyone else, she'd need to be able to prove it. Or she was invited by the killer? Or worse, there is no killer poker player, and it's all a ruse. Shaking her head, she reached out for the floor 'CAS', which rested below 'G'.

"Been here before?" Sienna asked the vixen.

"First time around this hotel. And New Meridian in general. Lot of things here work differently." She noted. "Came from New Kord."

New Kord? Most Reapers lived there, and quite a few civilians from all different kingdoms to represent the strengthened unity. Ferals are not uncommon in New Kord. Travelling from said location to a Hotel in New Meridian does spark a lot of questions. Nonetheless… "Sienna." She commented. "That's my name."

The vixen allowed herself to register the sentence, before responding back in a friendly tone and offering a loose hand. "Diana… Diana-Linda Wright. Call me DL, most people do." There was a moment of pause, but then Sienna saw the smile on the vixen's face… It was as genuine as it could ever be.

As she reached for her hand, she again felt that same strange energy, it felt almost like the one that resonated from Reala! But no, perhaps that was her own reacting in the presence of another. Looking at the feral's hand, she noticed a small tattoo, one shaped like an eye mask. She could barely register what it was since it was printed on her wrist. When she pulled her hand back, the feral quickly produced a small silver bracelet from her denim pocket.

"What's this?"

"Entry token. I happen to have two. Came through my mail couple days ago."

"Entry token?"

The vixen shrugged. "It is a private game." She hummed. "Though the rumours go that the players who've died… Always had one 'bracelet token' to begin with." Her smile faded to an intense look, but as the elevator doors opened… Her smile returned, however, it didn't have that genuine 'feel' to it that she had before.

"Well kiddo. I'll lead on."

Again, she was called kiddo, much to her own chagrin. But then again, this woman wouldn't have known who she was. Nikki knew very much that there weren't that many years between them, though she was only called 'kiddo' due to her rank falling several levels down. Reala, and Takamichi, both had justified reasons to call her as such, considering their age.

Following the vixen, Contiello took the time to take in her surroundings. She had never been in a casino in a long time, the last time she really stuck around was the time before she took buckshot to her head. Though the machines were new, the people were all the same, as were the machine's purpose. Slot machines, computers designed for gambling, roulette tables and their dealers, public poker tables of the sort…

Everyone here dreamed big, hoping to earn a fortune with what little dimes they had. The system was always against them however, no matter how much luck they had. The better they were, the bigger the punishment the moment they lose. Still, she can commend everyone here, addict or simple players, for their hopes and dreams being so big.

Her parents weren't much for gambling. They only visited the one down at River King to see the Medici's from time to time. At the very least, the River King Casino's former Medici sponsored owners were replaced by the likes of Minette, who mostly leaves it to the Casino's several managers to handle operations whilst she contributes a lot to Bastet's Den (not to mention, the Reapers). The Casino however flourished and expanded itself, with more rooms and floors to work with. The partnership between River King and Bastet's Den was a solid bridge, secured to the last support beam. Nikki, unsurprisingly was a regular… And came home empty handed.

DL smiled and stopped herself. "You know, good friend of mine used to gamble his pockets away. But then one day, boom! Jackpot!"

"Hmm? I guess someone has attained their hopes and dreams." Sienna said to herself.

"He's got a wife, a kid, and they're living it up at New Kord. You ever been there? Would love to visit."

Sienna shrugged, though she knew about New Kord since the Mansion was there. She hadn't really had the chance to explore the cities there, but the small town nearby the village was lively. Dirty and brutal at times, but still alive and wonderful. "I wouldn't know."

The two were halted by two men in suits. "Bracelets?" DL showed hers with pride, whilst Sienna simply raised her left hand that held it. "Gonna need to wear it lil' lady." She would argue, but she just wanted to get in on the game. Begrudgingly, she fitted the bracelet onto her hand. As she locked it, she felt a strange sensation pass through her spine, and shuddered…

One of the door guards attempted to pat down DL, but she rejected their attempts when she flinched back and grunted. From then, the men allowed the two in, but before they passed, DL stared at the two with such intensity, Contiello could make out the patches of sweat drenching their shirt collars… They were taller, and absurdly bulkier, and yet one powerful stare was enough to have them stand down. "Ask nicely next time… I wouldn't want the next time we visit to be… 'Messy'."

"Y-yes ma'am…"

DL proceeded on, and as usual, Sienna followed. Perhaps that was a little too much, or well deserved. Either way, they pressed on. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to."

"Isn't that asking for trouble?"

DL smiled. "Well. Everyone has bad habits. More than one if you're lucky." She couldn't argue with that, though asking for trouble isn't exactly the healthiest of 'bad habits'. As they entered the room, they noticed several players, all clad in expensive dresses and suits. The difference between these people and those in the casino: they have money, and gambling a sport to them. Losing some cash meant less than the fact that they had lost to someone else…

If the rumour of the people dying after poker games like this, perhaps it needed people exactly like these people here. One was a ginger Caucasian woman, clad in a long white dress reaching down to her ankles. She was young, and seemed to smile a lot, but all were deceptive. Her hair was straight long, and judging by the jewellery laden necklace, was well off. Whether the missing wrinkles were due to surgery or luck has been THAT good to her, it was a mystery. One thing was for sure, she did have this strange aura to her, or perhaps she was looking at her wrong to see it.

There were four others. An old man near bald-headed and sporting a goatee, a young twins who both were most likely in their early twenties at best, both sporting matching suits and similar shaggy hairstyles, and another man who had baggy eyes and looked almost as if he wanted to leave. The tired looking man perhaps was the only one of the five who wasn't winning for pride, but was more desperate to win.

The twins probably didn't care about each other for the next few hours as they indulged in their game. The old man probably had enough experience down his belt to see through any bait and switch the others had to offer.

"Sorry we're late."

"Two new players hmm?" The old man said.

The young woman smiled, albeit the innocent look was tainted with devilish intent. "Fresh meat for the grinder?" She chuckled. "I haven't lost, I'm lucky, just see my track record if you need to. I've been on many 'hot' games before." Her smile twitched.

"This should be fun." The twins said in unison… And still the man who had tired eyes said little as nothing…

* * *

"Fold." Squigly said as she dropped her cards down on the table. It's been a few turns, and she played it safe, avoiding calling to high raises. As for the others, DL mostly folded during the blinds. This turn, the old man, Dubois, folded as well as the devilish woman, Anya, as one of the twins threw whatever they had left.

The twins, Marco and Polo, were easily identifiable by the different highlight dyes they had for their fringe. Marco sported blue, Polo, red. Marco was definitely the forward fighter, usually pulling all the raises. Polo, while not as ballsy, competed with his brother.

DL shook her head and dropped her hand to the table. "Fold."

The tired man, Demarcus, pushed all of his chips forwards. "I call."

It was a three way fight. The twins both grunted, and looked at each other as they put aside their differences. "Fine." They said in unison. For the match, they just had been exchanging menacing glares at each other, like they were going to go at each other's throats like two politicians given knives. Now those blades were pointed at a third, uninvited party…

"Let's see where this goes." DL smirked. The board had two fours (club and spades), an eight of spades, a seven of hearts and a King of clubs. It was time for the showdown.

As the three played their hands, both twins ended up with pairs: Marco with a pair of twos, heart and diamonds, and Polo with one seven of diamond and one nine of spades which did nothing for him. Unfortunately… Demarcus played them both as his tired blank stare turned into a wide glare of piercing swords as he revealed his hand: a king of hearts and a king of spades. Three of a kind…

"Two birds… One stone. Or perhaps you two were the same bird split in half…?"

Both twins stood, but neither could even quip back at the winner… Marco pushed his chips over to Polo, and Polo… To Demarcus. The red highlighted twin sounded breathless, and his panting for air. "You win… T-this time." Just as Polo admitted defeat, a sudden outburst overcame the room as he quickly reached for his mouth with his left hand, and his right hand clutching at his chest.

Marco, seeing his brother in pain all the sudden, quickly reached out to him as Polo began flailing, and from the sounds of his choking mouth, couldn't breathe at all.

Without a moment to spare, Sienna leaped out of her chair to assist! "Easy! Easy!" Just as she reached out to him, his hand covering his mouth leaked crimson… Before he gave way and vomited a flurry of dark, untainted crimson. Sienna barely stepped aside as Polo, dropped to the ground. "Polo? Polo can you hear me?" No response. Placing the tips of her fingers on Polo's neck, she felt not a single pulse.

"Oh my God…"

DL knelt beside Sienna, as they both called it… "He's gone…" She turned to one of the dealers, who was still in shock and awe as to the sudden death before him. "Hey, get Marco outta here! And get some paramedics or someone!"

Whatever was going on, what just happened wasn't normal at all. There was one thing she knew Polo had that Marco didn't: a bracelet. The same one she and DL wore…

* * *

Marco had left with two Egret paramedics who took Polo's body away from the room. Sienna, knowing that right now things are out of control, requested a team on standby for any more 'accidents' that may occur.

"Well… We all know the rumours… One of us here is 'Death'. But who…? I could easily point at the guy who won that last round, but even then, that wouldn't make sense." DL explained to the remaining players. "So… I say we keep playing. It's only a coincidence he died… Right?" The party agreed, but Sienna kept to herself.

Squigly wanted to argue, but part of her for some reason wanted her to continue this doomed game. Perhaps playing to the end, regardless of the risks, would help her uncover the truth behind this deathly rumour.

Several rounds in, DL and Sienna were both down in cash, and as usual, played it as safe as possible. On the other hand, the old Debois had kept his eye on Anya. Whenever she plays a bluff, she notably sways her bangs aside and clears her throat. "All in."

"All in." She responded.

It was a showdown. Debois hummed to himself. "Good luck."

"I have enough luck to last me a lifetime."

And the results… The board had a King of spades, a two of Hearts and a two of Diamonds, an Ace of clubs and a ten of Hearts. For Dubois, his hand was blessed with an Ace of Hearts and a ten of Clubs. Two pairs.

"Three of a kind…" Anya stated as she revealed her 'lucky' hand. A two of Spades, and a nine of Clubs.

"Hmm… Perhaps senility has finally caught up with me." He stood from his seat, and smiled despite his failure. "If you'd excuse me. The loser shall take his leave." Just as he stepped away from his seat, Sienna already saw his face deteriorate from his graceful acceptance of his loss to downright… Blank. And from there, he dropped to the floor, in similar manner to Polo. It didn't take long to figure out he didn't make it either, and that Polo's death was no coincidence.

As his body lie face down against the carpet, a pool of thick crimson formed from where his head rested… "So one of us has to be the death bringer…" Or perhaps, they were all death bringers. It was DL, Anya, her and Demarcus. She could see that Debois wore the same bracelet she and DL wore, and then looking at Demarcus, he had one wrapped around his left hand as well. Anya had no sleeves and her right hand said it all: it had a bracelet.. Maybe they were all just unwitting pawns…

The remaining dealer retrieved a few more Egrets to pull Debois' body away, whilst he stayed as the remaining players requested the game to continue. He was awfully calm about all of this, but the sweat forming over his forehead was the perfect indication of fear. Perhaps the job was becoming difficult to hold on to with two deaths before him.

The nameless dealer set the cards on the board, with the flop cards being faced up. An Ace of Hearts, an Ace of Spades, and a five of Clubs.

DL smiled as she began to blind, whilst Sienna played the big blind. "This is turning out to be a strange night."

"Indeed… It's like some sorta movie or manga plot…" Demarcus noted. Throwing a few chips to call to the blind, he awaited the others. Anya called silently, gulping in as she also waited for the next move.

The feral winked at Sienna as she threw in all her chips. "All in. Not a lot to call for Demarcus since you got most of it."

"Then I'll call."

Anya cleared her throat, but didn't sway her hair like before, and there was a pause before she called. Perhaps it was another act. "I'll call."

Sienna took a moment as she contemplated the situation before her. , before dropping her hand. A ten of Hearts and a four of Clubs was a tough decision. She backed off and played it safe. "Fold." Perhaps it was best this way.

The first card, the turn, was flipped over. A King of Spades. Anya's face of agony faded and she was smiling her devilish smile once more. "Raise."

"Call." Demarcus said.

The fight between the three was more focused on Demarcus and Anya, as they locked eyes at each other, with intense fiery bile. "Do it."

The river card was flipped, an Ace of Clubs. DL called, Demarcus called as well, and Anya smiled as she dropped her cards. "Three of a kind." A King of Hearts and a King of Clubs. Demarcus scoffed as he revealed that his cards were only that of a five of Hearts and a four of Spades. Just as Anya reached out for the chips…

"Four of a kind." DL, after having no luck for the whole game, swiped Anya's winnings in a mere second. Her sleeves were rolled up as well, so there was no chance that she was cheating. The deceitful smile faded to despair, and then to a simple sigh. The feral was given the winnings, but Anya was still in the game, but with little to work with. It was make or break.

The next round. The dealer brought the next few cards on board. DL looked at her hand, shook her head and folded immediately, whilst Demarcus grinned, and Anya's skin had become a snowy shade of pale. She folded.

Flop. This time, two eights, one of Spades and one of Hearts, and a seven of Hearts. "All in." Sienna immediately blurted out. She did have a quick peek at her cards, and she felt confident that her hand is what she needed.

Demarcus scoffed mockingly as he shoved all his chips in as well. "I have this one in the bag."

"Haven't you read the stories or watched the movies? The one who boasts first usually loses." The turn. A six of Hearts.

The once tired looking man, now seemingly deranged, chuckled. "This isn't a movie."

And the river… A five of Diamonds.

"Showdown…" DL whispered, and watched as the two revealed their hands. The blank stare at his hand said it all, he had a pair of sevens, one of Diamonds and one of Clubs. Sienna… A Seven of Spades and an Eight of Diamonds. "Full house beats three of a kind…"

"Hmm… I underestimated you. I shouldn't have. That was my mistake. I never even got your name."

Squigly smiled. "Sienna Contiello."

Demarcus couldn't help but do the same. "That name... That face… Amazing…" Falling back into his seat, his face blank, and blood seeping from his eyes, nose and mouth, slowly, but surely. Another loss. It was only the three left…

"DL… The moment I came in here, people have died, and you've kept calm…"

The vixen stayed quiet for a moment… That moment of silence was broken with both parties stood abruptly from their seats, and both drew guns. She hadn't even noticed DL with one, but it was obvious why she didn't want to be patted in the first place. A Government Special…? That insignia, could it be…? A momentary crash, a similar echo to all those years ago…

When Sienna fell, DL took a moment to process what had happened. Her gun dropped down on to the table, in front of Anya, and Sienna's body lie lifeless on the floor. She shot a .45 slug at the girl's head. But it still couldn't fit the final piece of the puzzle. Every time someone won, it was almost as if they were lucky… Lucky…? "Of course." It hit her, and Sienna wasn't her enemy. There could only be one person who could be so 'lucky', and she said it herself.

The ginger poker player had already made for Sienna's silver gun, aiming it at DL who wasn't able to bring her gun to meet. "Right under my nose."

"Normally, I would've got away scot free. Well, the Egrets and Police would investigate but would find all of their deaths from natural causes. But I didn't expect the infamous 'DL' to take the bait." Pointing at her own bracelet, she revealed one difference, it was gold, not silver. "It's a beauty, no?"

DL shook her head. "So you sent those bracelets out, why?"

"Do I look like a Spy Movie villain?"

"No. But lemme guess, you wanted certain people out of the way, or their deaths would benefit you?" She scoffed. "What are you, another Demon Hunter? Or something else?"

Anya smirked. "I'm far beyond Demons, or mortals for that matter."

"So what, like an Angel?" Anya's smirk turned into a manic smile; the vixen had hit the bingo, and the prize wasn't a ticket home. "Well, not so high and mighty now, huh?"

"What's so high and mighty about being an Angel anymore? I help countless people, and yet it's meaningless, they show no appreciation and mortals continue to tear this world piece by piece. Hundreds of years pass, and vice, senseless violence and exploitation continues. So I don't give a flying fuck about honour or pride. And I don't need some demon hunting feral to change that." She swayed her gun to get DL to move to the door. "Move."

The vixen took one look at Anya, and then at the gun pointed at her. "You sure you know how to use that thing? You never know, the safety might be off." Judging by its custom design, it still had a safety lock, but it was definitely live. Not wanting to argue, she unloaded her Government Special and racked the chambered round to eject it. From there, she slowly dropped her gun on the table, and then walked towards the door.

Her back was to the ginger Angel, and there was enough distance between them so she couldn't disarm her like in the movies. "Now what."

"I think we all know what happens next."

"A miracle?" DL sarcastically remarked.

Anya, unamused, readied her trigger finger, sights perfectly aligned at DL's head from the back. "Perhaps God would give you that." She said, with her tone of voice sarcastic as ever. She pulled the trigger… There was a click… An empty click. No crash, just repeated clicking! The ginger was no doubt bewildered, as the gun was live to fire. Racking the slide, she pulled the trigger again, only to be met with another click. Pulling the slide half way, she saw that the chamber had nothing… "Shit…!" Anya exclaimed.

And from there, another sound of metal sliding back and forth, racking components and all. When Anya turned, she saw Sienna standing, with DL's Government Special at hand. Before the ginger Angel could react, Contiello swiped the empty Silver finish handgun before pulling the trigger mockingly. "No bullets. What? You think I'm stupid?"

"But she shot you! In the head! How!?"

Contiello knocked at the spot she was shot at. The same spot that buckshot had smashed through years ago. There was a metallic clang as she knocked her gun's handle at it. "It's pretty solid stuff. A forty-four revolver couldn't even tear into it." She pointed at the insignia on DL's gun. The Reaper's infamous 'Thorney Spiked Rose'. "Figured it out the moment I saw it. I was once told a story of a man who lost everything, who started from scratch and had a family. A wife, and a daughter." Though she looked nothing like 'him', the build and mannerisms were there.

Throwing the handgun back to DL, she drew her Dark finish handgun, Bass. Unloading the Silver finish handgun, Treble, with her right hand she reached out for a full magazine hidden behind her tee, and aimed them at Anya. Noticing that the bracelet was still on her arm, Anya smirked as she held up her own. "So, that's how it works hmm?"

"I pass on my luck to others, and the one with the most, wins, and lives."

"Well then. Let's have a bet: who lives between you and me!?" Sienna stepped forwards and began to unleash a volley of lead rapidly from both guns. Each shot was charged by her purple aura, which left small craters in their wake! Anya however was surprisingly quick and was more than capable of evading her shots, even when the vixen joined, shooting to where she evaded, she still missed. "Damn!"

The Angel then summoned a weapon out of nowhere: a set of Sai daggers, sharp, and covered in an ominous blue. "Call that shooting!?" The Angel's wings revealed themselves, and she flung herself at Contiello. Her attack was cut short when the poker table was thrown between the two, and the 'lucky' Angel probably wasn't lucky enough to stop herself from crashing into it.

Wright quickly reached out high, and from the ceiling, something forced its way in by request. As the dust settled, she revealed her overbearing Scythe, similar in nature to Reala's own. "Time to make a call kiddo!" Throwing the 'harvesting' tool to Sienna, she dived for a deck of cards before dispersing them across the room.

In a final bid, Sienna caught the weapon before going straight for Anya. The two struck at the same time, their weapons meeting in a deadlock, and their clash left cracks across the floor! Throwing each other off, the cards rained before them. Spinning the Scythe above herself, she then halted it at the sound of a card tear apart!

The Angel threw herself at Contiello, and she responded by swinging her blade at her!

For a moment, neither the two could tell who landed a successful blow during that chaos. But it was down to their cards to pass down judgement. Looking at her Sais, she smirked. "Hearto-no-king…"

Squigly scoffed as she showed the card hanging from the tip of the blade. "Spade-no-Ace…" And from there, Anya felt the gash across her chest seep and pour… "Ore no… Kachi da!" And the Angel fell. Turning to see the body, her eyes widened at the sight of the body now disintegrating to white feathers.

DL approached, and reached out for her scythe, which the Opera Singer handed over in a heartbeat. "Well. That takes care of that." The vixen turned to leave.

"You didn't happen to show up during the war."

"I was dealing with something." There was a pause. "Sorry if I couldn't help out. But right now, things are only getting started. But I was never here."

Sienna turned to retort, but she was gone… "I have just killed an Angel… Brilliant." She said to herself in monotone.

* * *

A taxi stopped by the scene of commotion, and its customer stood out once she had view of the Police lines and Egrets patrolling. Standing five-six, a tad taller than what she used to be about three years ago, she wore a long-sleeve trench coat to cover up from the cold and a bandana over the back of her head, which covered up most of her thick black hair. "Thanks!" Dropping a wad of cash to the driver without even checking the amount, she rushed to the line.

One of the Egret soldiers halted her. "Sorry, no civilians inside."

The woman reached into her trench coat's breast pocket, and produced a wallet. Opening it up, it showed her badge, and a form of photo-ID. "Detective Medici. I need to see what's happened here."

The Egret had a close look at the wallet, and then nodded. "Sorry Detective. Right this way!" Urging her over, he lifted up the tape before her to allow her through. Leaving the others to remain, he lead Medici into the Hotel, and followed through to the Casino. "I've heard the stories Detective, didn't realise I was speaking to 'the' Medici."

Loosening her bandana, she revealed a mouth with a set of intimidating teeth, and glowing yellow eyes. Her theon, Samson, blinked and used some of the hair to shield his eyes from the sudden burst of light. "I get that all the time."

"I heard that you socked Lorenzo right square in the kisser."

"You're not wrong." Felt really good too. It had been nearly a year since that happened, and despite her violent outburst, just smashing her fist into his face felt satisfying. It probably wouldn't of happened if she hadn't killed mercenaries and Stygian beforehand, which steeled her. While it wasn't exactly something she'd encourage, if it is the lesser of two evils, she'd kill if it meant saving an innocent life. Kazuo was right: the first kill wasn't exactly easy to down.

Perplexingly, it had become far too easy once she had fought her way through the former Medici tower. Though, the situation called for it, and playing it nice wouldn't exactly work out. She decided not to dwell on the thoughts.

"So give me a sitrep."

The Egret lead her to the back. "I think it's better you speak to them." He pointed at a group of familiar faces, who were hard at work picking at tidbits with tweezers. "Thanks. I have this." The Egret nodded before leaving to return to his post. Approaching the group, she waved first and foremost. Samson also waved.

"Holy shit. It's Detective Medici!" The black and orange furred feral said as he stood, smiling at the guest. "Great to see you still in shape!" He joked as he reached his hand out.

Filia laughed. "Says macho-man over here." She accepted his gesture, reaching out for his hand, before tightening their firm grip. "And I see you haven't aged a bit, Sienna."

"Of course. I'm just that good." She playfully retorted before standing to greet her good friend. "It's good to see you again. You're always out and about."

"Trying to sort out cases that've come my way before I take my break for the festival."

"Been strange shit goin' on." Samson noted. "But nothing we can't handle."

Sienna and Kazuo smiled; Micheal and Marcus joined the three. "Nice coat there Filia. I'm guessing you got my ma to sew that all together." Micheal assumed. Medici nodded. "But other than that, I'm guessing you're here because of all the commotion."

"Care to explain?" The Detective asked.

Sienna brought up a bag of gathered feathers, white, fluffy though all partially stained red. "An Angel was causing some trouble, I did what I could. There were several of us, playing poker including her. 'Lucky Anya' is what she was known by. All the other players died when they lost." She grimaced at the fact that they died probably horrible, and painful deaths.

Medici had a close look at the bag of feathers, before humming to herself. "Strange…" She reached into her inner coat pocket and revealed a bag of feathers as such as well.

"You were attacked as well?" Marcus asked.

"No. Homicide. At least that is what I was told. All I found were these feathers at the crime scene. Happened at Innsmouth."

Samson grunted. "We had to confirm with HQ what these feathers meant. Pure blooded Guardian Angels don't leave a body behind." Though that brings up the question: What consummates a pure blooded Guardian?

The group all stared at the bags that they had. None said a word for at least a good few minutes; no one knew what to say but only contemplated the situation behind it.

Filia broke the silence. "Perhaps these people were all targets. I mean there had to have been a way to get to them without being overly conspicuous."

"These bracelets." Sienna noted, showing the few she had obtained from the fallen. "Anyone in the game wearing them would die if they had lost." A gruesome power that seemed all too convenient.

Kazuo nodded. "Looks like we're going to have to run background checks on these people. You said one of them was still alive?" Sienna nodded. "Still… It bothers me that an Angel was doing this to begin with." It goes to show that even the 'Ascended' are not above evil. "Well, looks like we have our work cut out for us."

Filia nodded. "I might as well head out. I'll see what I can find from my end."

Micheal nodded. "G'luck out there Detective."

"Stay safe Fil-Fil!" Kazuo said playfully, hugging his friend and patting Samson. "You too Sammy. We're still going for drinks tomorrow, right?"

"Of course!" Samson agreed. Filia nodded too. "Yo, where's the worm?"

"Still at the Offices. I wanted the next couple of weeks to be between me and Micheal." Squigly explained.

"Sounds good. Say hi to that skull digger for me!"

Filia waved a farewell before leaving the private poker room. Now there were two dead Guardian Angels, and one of them was more than willing to murder a few innocent (until proven guilty) civilians. Perhaps these people had connections of the sort, or they were simply targets for a quick buck. But winning the poker game in the end would mean an easy paycheck, so that's less likely the case.

Perhaps there was news circulating already, and she had missed it. Perhaps she can see Cerebella tomorrow at Bastet's Den, and Yu-Wan as well. Something was going on, and she had to find out what. She waved at the group of Egrets still holding the entrance from customers, who waved back as she left. As she turned away, the Medici reached in under her coat, and felt the handgun in its holster. The next few nights weren't going to be safe alone.

The theon hummed. "Whatcha think kid?"

"Might as well head on home."

"Sleep on it, huh?"

She hummed and nodded.

* * *

Four days… It had only been four days since Eliza had found herself in this Hell-hole they call… School. Sure, she enjoyed studying Nilian history, and perhaps she found a kick out of simply teaching it. One thing she couldn't stand? There was no sense of anonymity. Being modelled out of the missing diva herself, just about every student within a mile radius is swarming for an autograph, or just to chat to their 'celebrity' teacher.

The stroll to school wasn't going to be a picnic either… Stepping out of the 4x4, Eliza sighed as she adjusted her cap. "I'm gone boys."

Dima, left via the other side, whilst Albus and Horus agreed. "Sure you don't need anythin' boss?" Albus asked.

"A loaded nine millimetre to shoot myself…" She sighed before closing the door and heading off with Dima to the school. "Why did I sign up for this?"

"Ain't got a choice 'Liza."

Adjusting her cap again, the doppelganger sighed. First three days and their searches around school grounds have turned up very little results. There certainly was some sort of strange energy passing through school grounds, but with every chance they have to pinpoint it, it somehow disappears. They do happen to find students at said point of interest, all noting that they were unaware they were at school or what had happened the past few hours.

Each student noted with varying times that they were at home or elsewhere, before falling asleep, and wake up around the school when Dima and her find them. The student would then be sent away, and each student left all sorts of strange things behind: unknown hieroglyphics written on boards, strange logos being painted on a table, speaking a strangely and incoherently before they snap out of their trance or simply staring blankly at whatever their eyes laid upon. Could it be that these strange occurrences are what these random students seem to be experiencing?

Sleep walking and performing all these strange acts, and yet none of these girls were related in any way aside from attending the same school, and that they had not been aware of the actions they have done. Perhaps slipping in a little earlier would be a good idea, but they didn't want to alarm the teachers or groundskeepers… Eliza checked her watch: eight-fifty.

But her thoughts were interrupted when she could feel the innocent aura of teenaged girls following in glee. Silent, but obnoxiously loud glee… "They're staring at me again…" She whispered to Dima, who simply chuckled and continued on without a care in the world.

"She's so amazing…"

"Look at all that sass!"

"How does she do it!? She looks good in about anything!"

And the compliments kept coming, but Eliza couldn't help but dread each one. All of these good features were simply 'copied'.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it." Dima jokingly asserted as he chuckled and walked on.

Eliza shook her head. "Why me…?" She stopped herself and looked back. "Hmm…" But nothing, aside from the crowds of schoolgirls, seemed to be following her. Looking around closely, she didn't see any faces out of the ordinary, just uniforms. Continuing on, she was halted: clad in a formal blazer with a blouse and black fashioned tie, business skirt, thigh highs and matching dress shoes, she folded her arms at the sight of Eliza.

"Again with that outfit." She shook her head.

"No disrespect Vice Principle Ariel, but it's much more appropriate than what I would be wearing before." If anything the records shows, what she wore in comparison to Neferu was conservative at best. "I shall be heading to my class now." How did she even get a job so quickly? Perhaps being a big name and face made all the more difference, but so far she was still under the radar. It was coincidence that they needed someone to specifically teach Nilian history; according to reviews of the school, the history teachers all stuck to specific topics.

"Hmph. Continue the way you are, I doubt you'll be sticking around…" Ariel said under her breath as Eliza passed.

"Unfortunately, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who knows a lot about Nilian History, and willingly teach it to your kids." Relatively speaking. Nilian history would only be taught to third year students, but the previous teacher resigned. As for what that teacher dropped out for, she didn't ask, just hoped that it was a clean break. Mid-term however, a little bit of an inconvenience, so there was no doubt that she was reeled in quickly to fill the blanks.

As she and Dima continued towards the main building, the masses of school girls had dispersed and proceeded to their classrooms. "Hmm…" Adjusting her cap, a thought popped into mind: 'What were those symbols that the students drew on those boards and tables?'

Having looked through most of the books and other sets of data where she could, nothing about those symbols ever popped up. Perhaps she was looking in the wrong places. Looking back, she took note that the hallways were clearing up, and those that were still taking their time had their own conversations to focus on. "Dima. You sure you've never seen those symbols before?"

"I'm sure." He nodded. "Still, I can't shake that they 'feel' familiar." Gut feelings were their best bet at this point.

The two strolled through hallways, still unintentionally aweing them by their presence. At the very least, Dima had some attention as well for being a 'pretty-boy' teacher. That was overshadowed by the sheer fact that Eliza was known as 'Eliza, the Lounge Singer'. While Dima was humoured by this, it's pretty clear that he is finding entertainment out of her torment.

Who knew that being a doppelganger could subvert such a narcissistic personality so strongly? If the reports were anything to go by, it was as if Neferu had a God complex of sorts. At the very least, she was defeated by Nikki, one of the Reapers First Generation of members, with her record just about topping out her peers in sheer numbers, barely beaten out by Colonel Gabriel and Colonel Takamichi, who were also First Gen members.

What did that make Eliza and Dima at this point? Perhaps she wasn't an Official Reaper in any case. As long as DL was looking out for her, and the others, she didn't mind whether she was one or not. The hospitality was welcoming.

Stopping outside Dima's assigned class, the feral patted Eliza on the shoulder, before heading off to handle his own duties: a substitute teacher. His room today would be in the East Wing of the school, second floor, whilst her own was third floor West Wing. Her morning Class this fine Wednesday would be in 'W-Humanities One'.

Simply walking to class was dreaded. It felt as though time around her sped up, minutes going by like seconds, days like hours, hours like minutes. Perhaps her sense of perception was haywire, as she checked the time on her watch. Eight fifty-five. "Hmm…" She didn't dwell on the surreal lack of time that hadn't passed despite it feeling that she should've been around at least two to three minutes after. She shook her head at the thought.

Eliza sighed before pushing the door before her open, and waltzing in casually with hands in her blazer pockets. "Ugh… Good morning class."

At her presence, the class before her, Class 3-A, all took their seats, halted their conversations, produced books from their desks and pens from their pockets. Taking a chalk piece from her desk, she started to write on the black board. If she were to be honest with herself, she didn't actually plan any of her lessons today, but reading where the students were for all of her assigned classes, the work and topics they'd be covering and what each topic covered, she simply remembered everything she knew from the Nilian History books she read.

On the board, she wrote: 'Page 115-125: The Great Plague' before setting the chalk piece down. It was a grim subject to be teaching school girls, but the same could be said about the 'Contiello Massacre' that the Canopian History Teachers handle. "I assume you've all done your research last night." Most nodded, but their assurance felt empty. Raising a brow, she took her seat atop the desk, clasping her hands together. "So can any of you tell me what happened during the Purging of the Great Plague of five-hundred BT?"

From there, only a few students raised their hands, seven out of twenty-five. Eliza pointed at the one who sat closest to her desk, a red headed feral; judging by the pointy ears, wagging bushy tail and whisker like marks on her cheeks, she was of feline descent. "Clara, was it?"

'Clara' nodded, but looked back to her classmates who looked at her, either shaking their heads, trying to hide away the sweat and some trying to mouth part of the answer. "The… People…" She hummed, trying to pick up the pieces. "They… They sacrificed many by cutting them by the… stomach…? … And letting them bleed to death…?"

Eliza raised her brow again. "Close… Not the stomach however, they were bled by the chest. You're missing two significant details. Why did they do it, and how many were 'offered'?" Clara gulped…

"One hundred to tw-"

"One hundred and fifteen people, men, women, and children, were exactly killed during that day." She sighed. "So… You go to every other class, and from what the other teachers tell me, you are among the best class of the third year." Adjusting her cap, she stood from her desk. "So tell me. Tell me exactly why you are either afraid to speak up, or actively do the work I've set you?" She had let them off the first two days, with the second day coming with mandatory home work.

One of the other students, a pale skinned blonde, raised her hand. The 'Doppelganger' pointed and allowed her to speak. "We're students Miss Eliza… You're way up there! Like, celebrity! Like, wow! The glamour, the singing, the fame! We're still don't understand why you're here just… Doing a boring job like teaching."

"Sorry, what was your name again? Tipsy?"

"Tiffany."

"Alright. So… Tiffany. Let me give you a good explanation of why I am here. It's because I genuinely LOVE Nilian history. I look at it a lot, wanting to know more about the curious life of one of our previous civilisations. I don't mind teaching it, because everyone gets to learn something new every single day." She sighed. "But what I don't want to be recognised for whilst I am a part of this job, is what I 'used' to be. A singer. Is that all I am to you? An amazing voice? Or do you see me as 'beautiful'? I looked at myself in the mirror one day and felt as though it doesn't say anything world while in the long run."

The students paid direct attention, avoiding speaking or whispering to each other as the dark skinned Canopian adjusted her cap once more and continued. "What's a good voice if you can't say anything good outside of the song? What good is me being perceived as 'beautiful'? I mean think about it. If Queen Parasoul was here right now, you'd be the same, gawking at her because she's 'beautiful', 'strong', 'smart'. But you can be too! Heck, if you can't see that now, that's because you're not looking at the right mirror."

Eliza took a seat on her desk once more, reaching for the text book besides her. "I don't care about getting paid, I don't care about being famous. I care about a lot of other things. People. I'm still a person, and right now I feel suckish that I'm treated like an Idol, but you guys can't always treat each other as so."

"But why? Isn't it easy living it big?" Clara asked.

Eliza would never truly understand how it was like to live like Neferu, but that's perhaps for the best. What good was riches to her? "No. Because think about it. What did I do before to get what I had? I had a whole club, decorated in whatever I can put my money to, and had all sorts of materials that meant little to brag. I had everything, but what really counts. And you don't have to look far for it." When the students looked towards each other, she smirked.

For her, someone you can rely on for more than just helping you with chores but the people that will lift you up when you get knocked down meant a great deal more... "There's only so few who will drag you more than at least a hundred miles to get you away from the world when the world gets you was a moment where I looked at that mirror and realised: 'I want more than all this 'stuff''. I'm not gonna get it the way I was living then, so I wanted to look into another way of living." While there were a few fibs and lies, in the end, she wasn't lying entirely.

She paused a moment, and sighed. "You are the future. Trinity be damned, I'll throw away every ounce of my former career if it meant you all graduated as straight A students." There was silence… But her heart pumped, her mind raced; she couldn't care less who these students were, and what they did in their daily lives. Regardless of how much it wasn't supposed to mean anything to her, she still had the decency to think, or at least admit that these young kids were more than just students.

Standing from her desk once more, book in hand, she opened it. "Turn to page one hundred and fifteen… I'll start from the beginning…" The chalk was in hand, and for once, the class finally looked at their textbooks, worshiping the knowledge before anything else.

* * *

Another bright sunny day in downtown New Meridian. Detective Medici passed by one of the recently established schools. Named after Queen Parasoul's mother, the school was 'Nancy Academy', a Private all-girls school. It wasn't long ago that she attended school herself. They were easier days, but she can't regret where she is standing now.

She noticed a black 4x4 stop nearby, similar to the ones that the Reapers had. Well, it was a popular vehicle. She was able to spot the driver and front passenger, both large looking ferals: the driver was a black furred Nilian Jackal, sporting a bulky build, whilst the passenger was a white feathered owl, wearing a fez and a pair of small spectacles. He was about as big as the jackal, but seemingly had some fat to match.

Turning away, she noticed a group of school girls immediately passing her. The 4x4 left the area after two passengers from the back exited. The crowding school girls however made it difficult to identify who they were, but they couldn't have been important. Gut feeling however told her that those two were something to look in to. Following the crowd from behind, she kept her distance however so that she wasn't obvious.

Samson was disguised as usual, preferring to look like a hairband over a set of teeth and eyes. He however went with his host's plan of following the former passengers of that 4x4.

The crowds happened to be getting bigger, but then again, it lead towards the school, but school crowds weren't THAT big. She stopped a moment when she felt her heart jump, and her aura spike. There was a small gap within the crowd, small enough for her to get a peek at who these two were. She had only a fraction of a second to work with, but both seemed familiar in their own way. Medici felt as though that a set of eyes were coming her way, and so she stepped aside and hid behind a tree, no one noticed as the crowds were interested in what was ahead of them, and it wasn't school for sure.

Their chatter was overwhelming, but the important information she needed was the name: Eliza. Couldn't be… With her theon's help, she was able to leap into up atop the tree, and she made a grab for a thick branch to hang from. With a good view ahead of her, she looked over to confirm her suspicions. Dark skinned, tall, short hair… And besides her, was a feral feline with shoulder length hair with a blue fringe, blue eyes and a Siamese cat's tail. Why did he look so familiar…?

"Samson. You seein' this?"

"Yeah…" Eliza stopped and looked back, perhaps avoiding her view was the best choice. There was something different about her… The clothes were nothing like what she would wear, and even more so was that she seemed in disdain for all the attention she was getting. Tapping deeper to herself, Filia engulfed herself in her aura, and her senses, especially her vision and smell, were far more focused.

It couldn't have been anyone else but Eliza with those looks, but it was the smell that bothered her. A trick that Romeo taught her, she found that concentrating her aura to enhance her senses allowed her to smell the scent of those around her. What made it useful was that the distinctive smell would translate into a specific feeling, in a way. Though that time they encountered Eliza was brief, she was able to get a whiff of a strong smell of iron, coupled with hints spiced rosemary. It was as if it was a compliment to her fondness for bloodshed, with the rosemary acting as a poor mask.

This Eliza smelled… It was lightly musky, not overbearing in anyway. The odour was of freshly cut grass, patched in with mild spices, perhaps akin to cinnamon. Filia took another deep whiff of the air; there was no mistaking the scents. This Eliza's reluctance to indulge into the attention she was getting from these students was most likely a partial representation of the grassy smell. Medici wondered what the cinnamon smell represented…

"Looks like her… But look at that. Ain't nothin' like her." Samson whispered.

Medici nodded. "We'll stop by here again. I have a feeling…"

"Another hunch?"

She hummed in agreement. "First thing's first." The only living player during that round of 'Death Poker', Marco, was taken in by the Egrets to a local Precinct, not too far from the school. From what she was told by the soldiers, he wasn't doing so well with his brother just dying at least ten hours ago. It's never easy to move on from a close relative or friend, regardless of the hostilities.

Letting go of the branch, she landed on her feet and stood back up, tapping away the leaves that had stuck on to her sleeves and coat. "I could use a spot of breakfast though, how about you Samson?" She asked.

"Freakin' yes."


	2. Chapter 2: Continuous Flow

Reala adjusted the tie wrapped around the collar of his red wine shirt. Looking at himself at the elevator mirror, he hummed. "Honey. You like my nose, right?"

Linda, who stood beside him, chuckled: "What nose?"

"I'm kidding." He smiled as he turned back to Wright, who wore a formal business suit, preferring a chocolate blazer and skirt. Forgone was his trench coat for today, instead, opting for a long-sleeve red shirt, tucked in under a pair of black denim jeans, and to compliment: a pair of dark chocolate spurred boots. He only had one of his huge handcannons today, but that was because Linda had the other, hidden in a closed carry holster. His own firearm was openly fastened on his left, handle angled upwards for his right hand to reach.

Hotel California… He hadn't been here for at least a few years. The last time he stayed around, was with Linda, and for reasons not needed to be disclosed… "I think we've come a little overdressed." He commented. Linda nodded, but playfully nudged the Commander.

Passing a few more floors, the elevator finally stopped at thirty-three, where the others will be. As the doors opened, the vixen was allowed first before the Commander followed. "Still can't believe that an Angel was here, and went rogue." Reala noted.

Wright hummed and nodded but regardless, didn't allow the grim news to set the tone down. "You can speak to the Conference about it later."

"I think I want to avoid them for now." He took a deep breath in, exhaling slowly. "Let's just take our break for now."

Reaching room two hundred and four, Reala knocked first. The thought of greeting the others was slightly trailed off by his growling stomach. Reaching a hand at his belly, he sighed. With the confusion of yesterday, coupled with missing breakfast, he could use a bite. "I could go for a burger right now." They even had the chance when the two passed the market, especially where stalls of street food had setup for the ongoing festival. Burgers, sausages, barbeque pork meat on a stick!

Shaking her head, the vixen smiled once more. "You should've eaten when we got here."

"Stop reminding me…"

"Or what, big guy?" Linda said, with a hint of playfulness in her voice as she wrapped her arms over his shoulders. "You need to stop skipping those meals. You need to stay in shape." She joked as she poked his chest. Of course, he really didn't, but she knew more than anyone that he was an unashamed big eater. Combine that with his bulky stature, he seemed like a regular mid-tier body builder. Wright however knows that he's not one to brag, not at all.

Standing close to him, she noticed they were of equal height, and Linda giggled at the thought. Rather than ask questions, the Commander chuckled as he nuzzled his left cheek over her left, eyes closed and all… "I swear hun… You have the softest cheeks of all time…"

"Damn right I do…" Linda added. The doors finally opened, and the vixen pulled away from the Commander, albeit slowly rather than scrambling away like a teenager trying to hide her embarrassment. Behind the door was Sienna, who wore a modified form of the outfit she first wore upon meeting the Reapers. The same one that Micheal had bought for her.

"Commanders." She said in monotone, with a faux salute to match, and she was met with one in kind, before breaking into a friendly outburst. Her arms flailed at her two Commanders, pulling them in as she smiled and chuckled. "It's so good to see you two!"

"Look at'chu! Getting taller and still haven't lost your touch!" Linda said as she accepted Sienna's hug, and kissed her on the cheek. "By the way, got to see your last performance at the Luce and Ombra Theatre." Her last performance was for a play, in which she played a daughter of a rival gang to another gang, who had fallen in love with one of the sons of said rival don. Her acting skills were impeccable, but everyone stayed for her voice.

Hadn't it been for Linda, Sienna wouldn't have found a way into the Theatre, or Opera, at least at such a fast rate. What made it easier was the need for good talent, and the company that Sienna works with as of now has a good reputation for taking care of their actors and singers. Of course, if all else fails, Sienna can make a living as a Reaper and Demon Hunter.

The nightmare Commander slipped his hands into his pockets, his lips curved but only just. "Glad you've been doing alright Squigly. Just to let you know, Nikki and Leviathan will be popping over." With recent events, it was a precautionary measure. If Angels are really going rogue, Nikki had to get involved, especially since she was one of the members of the 'Angelic Conference'. They'd most likely be pestering her for an investigation, or worse, would deem the situation a lie and would want to speak to Sienna directly.

But even if Sienna delivered the deadly blow, she couldn't have figured out that 'Anya' was an Angel on her own. Anya was definitely keeping a low profile, and the only way she would've figured her out was to draw her out, but that would make her a priority target. Someone else had to have been there, someone who can keenly detect a preternatural when hidden in plain sight.

He didn't dwell on the thought however; he had to put aside the work and business for now because he had promised both the vixen and other Reapers that he would enjoy the celebrations. The other juniors had already made it to the room beforehand, with Kazuo and Klo assisting in making brunch, instead of buying food from outside. A conservative but very smart idea!

Sienna allowed the two in with welcoming arms, as Linda and Reala both took to the piles of sandwiches and other foods and snacks that have been made. Reala reached out first for what appeared to be a chicken salad sandwich, and immediately taking a bite, he nodded with a thumbs up. "That's good… Oh my Lord…"

The vixen swallowed her own bite. "I can marry this… Can I marry this?" She jokingly asked. Reala nodded in agreement; perhaps he'd marry his own sandwich too if possible.

Kazuo and Klo continued to prepare the feast, as they expected others to visit. With most of them being preternaturals, the amount of nutrients needed to sustain them was very high. Today was going to be long, and so the two packed everything into brown paper bags, and labelled each bag with its contents such as a sandwich, some snacks or even a boxed meal.

"Hopefully there's enough food. Gonna be a lotta people dropping by." Klo noted.

Kazuo nodded. "And the FNG, right?"

Reala finished up his sandwich and nodded silently. "Two. First one's female, the other, I think you know him very well Kazuo." Foxhound nodded. Swallowing the chewed up mush of what was once bread, meat and blends of condiments, he grimaced. "Steel yourselves lads, first one's probably going to bite harder than a wolf."

Bringing out his PDA, he sent documents over to the other members in a few touches. Klo and Kazuo took to their devices to view the data, whilst Sienna peaked over since hers was out of reach. "Her name is Maud Rihfort, Chessian, twenty four... Mortal." Taking a can of soda from the table, he pulled the tab to open its contents. "And yet her ki is really powerful. If anything, it's almost akin to an aura of sunlight. There aren't any family members of hers that had any involvement with ki training or anything remotely preternatural."

"So how did she get her powers?" Sienna asked, raising a brow.

Linda stepped in: "Training. Gabriel found her a year ago after a strange incident. She volunteered for the program but her training grounds were in the Dragon Empire." With her own can of bubbly nectar, she consumed to her hearts content, before stopping to exhale her satisfaction. "She excelled in a Martial Arts known as 'Yángguāng wén bō'. Sunshine Ripple in Simplified Dragonian."

Kazuo nodded. "I heard stories about it. Utilizing inner ki to replicate energy similar to the Sun as I've heard." He thought it could only exist in stories and animes, but it seems as though it is as real as can be. He'll take Reala's word with a grain of salt, because at this point, anything is possible and the impossible has been done. "But you said she excelled in it. How far are we talking?"

Linda squashed her now empty can and threw it into the bin besides her. "In that year alone, she was able to master skills that most students would take at least a decade, if not several. I'm sure I can think of one person who can help with that." The nightmaren Commander smiled impishly as he took another sandwich to mouth. "Regardless, training aside, she has no real experience in combat. I trust you all will be as welcoming as possible." Michael and Kneesocks are no doubt bringing her up as they speak…

"Yes ma'am." Klo assured with a thumbs up. Kazuo and Sienna responded in kind with nods and smiles. Just as they agreed to said request, the door flung open with a forceful push… Their attention swayed to the doorway, and they found Micheal and Kneesocks standing behind a slightly short, petite, blood red haired young woman. Her appearance screamed nothing short of 'Attention Grabber', as her outfit was of black and red, frilled and with sparkling jewels of ruby…

"Trinity be damned, fuckin' train sucked…" None of the Juniors said a word. "What's up Reala? Oh fuck is that food? Maid damn! I could use some of that!" She rushed herself at the set of sandwiches and immediately stuffed the first one she had to hand into her gob.

"This… Is… Her…?" Sienna asked, confused.

Linda nodded slowly, much to the dismay of both the Juniors, and on Reala's behalf as well… "This is she…"

"These sandwiches are damn good. Fuck me, they hit the spot so good. Even the bitch ass whores during the train ride couldn't make a good sandwich." She shook her head in disgust at the thought. "It's two fucking slabs of bread with meat and fuckin' condiments for fuck sake!"

Kneesocks dropped herself on the chair, slumping out of exhaustion, whilst Michael went for the bed, face first. "I think that last bag tugged on my collar…" He noted, reaching for the said garment around his neck.

The demoness sighed. "She made us carry everything… EVERYTHING!" And the hybrid feral on the bed pointed limply at the doorway, which had several luggage bags and many other bags from brand names such as 'Hillson' and 'Mullarkey Co', all of which are expensive clothing brands. No doubt that they simply avoided asking for room service, because with this much baggage, it was a sure-fire way to increase the tip.

The nightmaren cleared his throat, and tapped on Maud's shoulder. When she turned to him, he only glanced at the three other Juniors, before minding his own business with Linda. Rihfort sighed but stood and bowed to the three. "Maud… Maud Rihfort."

Kazuo tilted his head with arms folded. He then offered a hand, but she only glanced at it and didn't respond. The sudden change in her outgoing attitude to mellow and respectful was strange, but perhaps it was a custom ingrained into her mind from her sensei. The bow itself had to be met correctly, so he retracted his hand and bowed as well. Sienna and Kazuo also bowed.

"Sorry… It's just that… The way I'm used to greeting people is this way." She explained, straightening herself out. "I mean, it's stupid but I think I prefer it."

Sienna shook her head. "No, it's not stupid at all. I think it's nice to have a little cultural diversity." Contiello smiled. "I'm Sienna, Squigly if you will. Both work."

Foxhound stood up straight. "Kazuo. Kaz. You'll get to know us all soon enough. I mean there's no rush."

"I hope not." She smiled. She offered her right hand. "I'm curious as to how well you tan." It was illuminated by a mist of tangerine, emitting blonde yellow sparks with each passing second.

"Well… Doesn't really work out the way I want it to." Foxhound joked as he accepted the handshake, meeting her ki with his own, thunder blue sparks and flow of energy. As their hands clasped, their powers surprisingly did not conflict with each other, rather just cancelling each other out with equal measures of use. "That's really good channelling!"

Maud agreed, but also could tell that the hybrid feral contrasted with her perfectly, but the two weren't looking for a fight, they simply wanted to test their powers. "Well, if you fucker's don't mind, I'ma eat. Starving to shit here…"

Contiello shook her head, but regardless, couldn't help but smile at how Maud was relentless in her uses of F-bombs. There was an uncanny resemblance to Nikki, if not exaggerated in a way. Of course, if she did this in front of her sensei, probably wouldn't be here today. For one not to care or even think about someone, you wouldn't affectionately insult them right away. Maybe Rihfort was just as excited to be around as all the others, if her rudeness did represent this.

Again, the attention was immediately snatched away to the doorway, where a feral of black fur with purple hints, knocked. His outfit consisted of a maroon long-sleeved shirt, coupled with a pair of black dress trousers, and black combat boots, mostly hidden by the ankle cuffs. It was like he was attending a formal interview, and what's more, he even had a tie, and held his leather coat over his right arm.

His distinctive features include a pair of feral rabbit ears of rasin colour, but if one could ignore the ears, he had an uncanny resemblance to Takamichi, in fact, that extends to Kazuo. "Sorry I'm late." His gaze immediately met Maud's, and while she remained neutral, he immediately smiled, one that was true down to his core.

Captain Foxhound smiled at the guest, and allowed him in with a hand reel towards himself. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you in a while."

"Well there's a reason why I'm here." The long eared feral joked as he hung his coat on the rack on his right. Right after, he approached the team as if he knew them for a long while, like old friends. Of course, according to the team's reaction, this was more than justified. Even Squigly knew whom Kazuo spoke to. She had met him several times down at Innsmouth, at Yu-Wan's restaurant as one of the waiters. So this is what Reala meant by Kazuo knowing the second new member?

Zhai Takeo. Another member to the Takeo clan, his mother was an Accountant in the Chess Kingdom, whilst his father… He didn't know too much about him actually. Undoubtedly, his father was where the rabbit ears came from. If anything, he hadn't went through a day thinking harshly about it. Zhai moved to New Meridian at the age of seventeen to study at one of the local UF Academies. According to Kazuo, that was three years back, and he passed with decent scores. By that time, he was able to land a spot as a waiter for Yu-Wan's restaurant.

But his real ambition was much like Kazuo's: to help people as a Reaper.

"Man… Traffic was all over the place." Zhai noted. With the parade coming ever so close, he could only expect that his journey here would be slowed down. "But I made it at least."

"Well, don't keep yourself waiting. Help yourself." Kaz patted his cousin's shoulder and allowed him towards the kitchen.

As Zhai approached, he bowed in as a means to greet. "Hello. The name's Zhai, pleasure to make your acquaintance. Maud raised a brow. He wasn't in the room when she explained that she only bowed instead of a hand shake or other means of physical contact approaches. "Sorry, force of habit… It's part of my job as a waiter down at Innsmouth."

"A waiter?"

"For a Dragonian/Dagonian restaurant."

Made much more sense there at least. He would have to greet customers politely, and to fit the culture around it too. "Whatever." She rolled her eyes.

The feral took a seat, leaving a stool as a gap between himself and Maud. "It's the start of something new…" Takeo said as he reached out for a sandwich.

"Can't be any different from training." Maud said dismissively… But deep down in her heart, her soul, she knew that her training from hell will be a God send by the end of it. Thoughts were interrupted when the others started to pack small rucksacks with food and drink to go. It was time to enjoy the celebrations. She stood from her seat and joined the Commander who led several members out. Time to party. Squigly however urged the others to go, to help Micheal rest.

* * *

Sienna sat beside the drained feral. She doubted that the bags were what tired him, but rather the 'colourful' personality that Maud expressed to both her and Knee would easily run him down. Mason-Fox was the kind of person who enjoyed conversations, but mindless one-sided spouting was one thing she understood he hated. Alternatively, their 'good' night meant he was aching, and that carrying the bags really did tire him. Doubt it…

The pale skinned singer petted her feral's ears. Soft as always. "Mick?" He didn't say a word, but he sighed as he relaxed himself, his fox tail swishing and swirling, his mouth curving a smile. The opera singer couldn't help but smile at the sight. She worked her right hand lower to just under his chin, and promptly, after an impish smile, began her attack! She stroked, rubbed and tapped with her fingers at his neck and shoulders, and like a close canine friend, he couldn't help but laugh, chuckle and whimper at Contiello's mercy.

"Come on, stop being so lazy!" She laughed manically as she pulled her right hand back and reached out under his t-shirt, and continued her plan of attack, doubling efficiency and effectiveness as the fox-rabbit's laughter turned up to eleven! "Who's a good boy!?" She joked.

"Nngghhh! Come on!" He said in a whimpered tone, but his pleas were ignored as she continued on, and the laughter became breathless and eyes tearful. He couldn't stop laughing, his tail only swished and swayed faster, his joyful crying becoming a flood… It was a weakness he was powerless to! A kryptonite!

A moment of reprieve was given to allow him to take a breath… "Merciless, aren't we?" The hybrid feral said between pants for air. Taking a deep breath, he relaxed and rested head on Contiello's lap.

"Well…" Producing a small box from behind her back, she smiled devilishly as she waved it in front of the hybrid. "Considering that you weren't going to say anything about 'this' sooner or later…" The feral reached out for it as she raised her arm higher. A mistake which left her vulnerable as Micheal returned the favour. Both were in fits of constant laughter, Sienna taking the brunt of it whilst Mason-Fox laughed at the predicament he had her in.

But she was a sly one, having found it right under his nose. He'll give credit for her keen senses however. Of course, he was merciful as he withdrew his attack, but both smiled at each other. Contiello handed the box back without another word, and he revealed its contents. "Hun… I know we've only known each other for nearly a ye-"

"Yes." She interrupted, but it wasn't a 'yes' to enquire, it was a 'yes' to respond to what he was about to ask. "Yes, yes, yes. A thousand yesses, a million yesses if need be! Yes, yes-yes-yes-yes! To heaven and hell, yes!" She was breathless, taking deep exhausted breaths, recovering from her sudden outburst.

Mason-Fox was paralysed, his eyes wide and jaw slightly agape, but his trance ended when a guest in the room they had forgotten about cleared their throat. Knee, who was still on the sofa, smirked at the sight. The feral turned, but the Crimson demoness urged his attention to his lover. It was settled… Removing the ring from the box, Sienna offered her left hand, and Mick reached out for them with his left. With his right hand, he slowly slipped on the ring…

Simple as its design was, Squigly smiled, and couldn't hold back the glee in her voice. So many thoughts rushed through her mind, but none of them reflected any doubt or regret. But she noticed he didn't have one for himself, nor was he wearing one on his left hand. "Wait… What about yours?" She took his hand, and even deduced that there wasn't even a ring mark. Did he have his own stored elsewhere?

Micheal loosened his collar from its hiding spot under his shirt. He does wear a variety of collars out of personal preference, but upon closer inspection, this one had some sort of chain linked to it. Pulling on it, he revealed the ring which hung like a tag. "Put it on today."

"You were hoping I'd say yes, hmm?" She raised a brow, but the smug grin on her face said it all… 'You got lucky…' She thought to herself. Regardless of the fact that he didn't wear it the same way as most couples would, he still had the ring attached to him in a way. Perhaps the reason he had it there, and why the chain had some length to it, was to simply… Tug… And pull him… Towards her lips… 'Perfect.'

"Well I'll be damned." Kneesocks murmured. When the two broke contact, she stood and urged them to the door. "I'm spreading the word! When are you two gonna properly hitch up!?"

Micheal scratched the back of his head. "We need time to think about that."

Sienna shrugged. "I was thinking something a little 'simple'." Inspired by her own mother-in-law no less. She wanted to forgo all the big traditions of a wedding for something smaller, but tying the knot was the thing that she cared about. "Just a suggestion."

Regardless, the Crimson Skin ran off with a smile, ready to spread the news to the masses. Meanwhile, the feral kissed Sienna on the cheek, a little surprised that the opera singer was opting for a 'conservative' wedding. Living with his family has certainly evolved this once gentle dormant bloomer to a beautiful blue rose, with prickly thorns of course. Most of the cues were inherited from his own mother, but she didn't abandon what she valued beforehand.

As such, Sienna is still kind and gentle, she'll treat well if they return the favour or in returning the favour herself; Mick can attest to that in many ways, whether it be himself or someone else that she shows her friendliness to. While he remembers very much how competent she was in fighting before she had proper training from the Reapers (and his parents), he also remembers how much anger he could feel upon any mention of the Medici then. Their time is over, but some part of him feels the bitter aftertaste left behind after all that fiasco, only masked by the vast loads of the sweet yet enticing taste of victory.

It was as if she shared a similar taste to his mother. Both he and his father hadn't much of a tragic life to begin with, and many would point out his 'relative' pure scent. Sure he has his bitter moments, but he doesn't hold grudges or worse, any long-lasting pain. Whether he could help phase that out of her life, he didn't know. Perhaps it has become a part of her, much like his mother's past is something she willingly holds on to. While she never dwells on it, those thoughts alone are lurking, but maybe that's why she's always pushing ahead to the future.

It didn't matter what held Squigly back. The feral reached for her hands, gently rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. Her left hand was, naturally, solid hard due to it being a synthetic, but her right hand had all the warmth he needed to feel from her. They were as warm as ever can be, just as warm as she were undead… "You know. I still wonder whether I'm worth becoming your husband to be. But I'll be happy to stand by your side."

She rested her head against his, their foreheads holding together along with their hands. "I want you to be by my side, and I'll stand by yours too." He was her priceless feral, one she wouldn't trade for anything. "I wish you had the chance to meet my family, they would've loved you."

"I dunno. I'm not sure they'd be happy to see you dating someone with sharp canines like…" And he showed the sharp embedded claws in his mouth.

Sienna scoffed as she broke her hold with him and stood. "Well, I'm dating you for the 'tongue'." She mockingly said before rushing out the door, a wide smile on her face. Mick ran after her, closing the door behind himself of course, and smiling all the way.

* * *

Another day, another crowd following. The doppelganger sighed once more... At least she had time to stop for breakfast without too much trouble, and pick up a Bento box for lunch. A breakfast wrap to start the day, and a cup of coffee. The coffee wasn't anything to ride home about, but the damn wrap was AMAZING! A hash brown, three bacon rashers, a flat sausage, and a cheese omelette to top it off. Dima was smart enough to buy two, one to go with lunch.

"Man, that place was awesome. Bacon's perfect, sausage is tender and meaty…" He oozed pleasure from such a concoction.

"They're good but please, control yourself Dimitri." The feral ignored her request and continued to feast on his wrap. Dima always enjoyed whatever comes to mouth, hell he enjoyed a lot of the little things that life has to offer. Being with her small covert group, she learned a lot about her few team members. It was straightforward to analyse the albino hybrid, his mannerisms, his honesty, always out in the open. While there was a degree of conservation, he relished in whatever interests him. Though there was a sense of dread within him, no thanks to the news of his father's death.

If there is an afterlife, which in a way seemed likely, Romeo would be either disappointed or distraught that his son wasn't actually dead. Or perhaps he'd be relieved that he didn't die as he had thought. Dima never dwelled on it, preferring to leave the past behind and keep pushing forwards. It's understandable, he had nowhere to go and his mother doesn't even remember him or Romeo (no thanks to him on that part).

Optimism and confidence can only go so far without some sort of support, but Dimitri was strong enough to leave some sort of influence in the world. Just being around him was a pleasure, regardless of his messy eating or whatever you could consider a bad habit of his. The world could learn a thing or two from him.

From Albus, he was the one who lived in the moment, just enjoyed life as it was given. All instinct, and he never thought too much about anything he does unless someone else does it for him. Some would call him stupid for not seeing and understanding the problems that the Canopy Kingdom, or what the world has. But why should he really bother? If anything, his carefree attitude is a good thing, because there won't be a single thing to hold him down.

There are nit-picks. He's impulsive, to say the least, and at worse, blunt when he doesn't realise it. Still, he's good muscle, even more so is that he learned to work with his new team quickly. Didn't have to learn the hard way either, since he could tell just by looking at Diana-Linda, he'd rather submit to a new employer. Albus learned however that his new employer would treat him as an equal, and his workload was much less manual labour.

Sure there was a lot of labour, especially when it came to handling deliveries of equipment and weapons. Albus however wasn't one to complain since he was getting a handful

Horace on the other hand, compared to his younger partner, was level headed and withheld his emotions to his comrades. Despite this, he has his moments. His transition to DL was smooth, as he understood the benefits of working with his former employer's enemies. A capable fighter, many would foolishly mock his large stature, where Albus was muscle, Horace had fat and muscle. To the surprise of Diana-Linda and Dima, the owl proved to be no slower than a Black Belt Taekwondo practitioner. Furthermore, he was a logical thinker, and was known to 'think smart'.

Thinking smart however has its caveats, what with him not commenting on moral dilemmas. The owl genuinely has a distaste for 'knocking the bird's head', mainly because his career beforehand involved an eerie amount of gruesome disposals. Horace followed orders, showing a degree of professionalism. So why did he go so far to defect from Neferu? That's easy: the Reapers had a major starting advantage, with numbers and firepower outclassing her.

Still, he didn't doubt that if she returns, there will be major bloodshed before she loses, or worse, wins. For now, he is confident that Reala's daughter would successfully lead Eliza to where she wants her to be. For now, he will take his paycheque, adjust his fez and continue work as normal. Since his past was shrouded in mystery, Dima assumed that his capabilities were down to vast years of experience elsewhere. Most likely the vixen would've found a lot about him, but probably to keep things confidential, had tampered with whatever data of him existed.

Was he a soldier? A former mercenary or assassin? Would explain his good martial arts skills and expertise with firearms, according to his runs in warehouse. His record sits only behind Dima, who sits first place including accuracy bonuses for time deduction. Eliza has yet to run through the test herself, but her standards are set to compete with Horace. Albus, not so much in the speed department but he was a really good shot, vs DL who was a lousy shot surprisingly.

"You know, we should stop at the range; kinda curious how I'd do."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Dima nodded in assurance. "Horace is catching up, I'm honestly worried that he'll kick my record down." He laughed at the idea, though he knew that the owl is more than capable of reaching his time and score, eventually.

"Another day, another lesson." Eliza pulled out a book from her blazer. "But all planned out."

Dima shrugged and smiled. "Look at you. Didn't realise you'd enjoy teaching so much."

The doppelganger smiled as she passed through the main gates. Her smile immediately straightened as she felt a strange sensation pass through her, originating from her left and spreading like wildfire. Straightening herself and adjusting her cap, her eyes peered to her left. It was the Vice Principle again. "Good morning."

"Again with that hat. You're putting an impression on these young girls." Not to mention, the scuffle she had with one of the other teachers. Another history teacher who simply reprimanded Eliza's fame right outside of school, but of course Eliza did nothing in response. Of course, said teacher lost her cool and threw a slap, only to be given a nose crunching punch in return. The rumours are circulating fast among students.

Eliza raised a brow. "Perhaps. But it's a positive one." She retorted. Barring the scenario where she defended herself from assault that is…

The Vice Principle folded her arms. "I don't like that attitude of yours…" Ariel glared at Eliza, akin to a tiger ready to pounce a dear.

Unfortunately, Ariel was coming up against another feline instead… One who had claws as sharp as her own, and just as ready to strike. "Miss Ariel… We may not get along, but if you insist on continuing to have a meaningless grudge on the grounds of who I am, we settle it away from the children." She tipped her hat off to the Vice Principle.

"Crimson Scourge…" Ariel murmured. At that, Eliza paused, turned back with her own glare. Her left eye looked directly at Ariel, a piercing glare designed for the toughest of armour. Ariel glared. "What's wrong? Did I strike a nerve?" Ariel chuckled before bursting out in a menaced laughter, holding the tips of her fingers against her lower lip.

The doppelganger was held back by her feral companion, but she persisted and threw his hold off. She put her foot down… "YAKANOSHI! Uto-shi-zoh!"

Dima however was able to get back hold of her. "Not here…"

The Doppelganger sighed before adjusting her blazer and cap once more before leaving for class. 'I'll smash that face right in if you piss me off again…' She thought to herself.

* * *

It had been at least a day since the start of the Festival, not so long after the incident at the Hotel. Filia approached the hospital. Her assignment for today: Escorting a witness to Headquarters. If a Guardian was involved with the last few murders, it's better to have someone capable to bring him to absolute safety. The only reason he stayed at the hospital was because he still mourned his unfortunate twin brother. She and Samson wouldn't be alone for this assignment.

Of course, the hospital would rule his death out as natural, but it was far beyond their understanding. The Colt stirred nervously in Filia's coat, a tingle around her itchy fingers, trigger and non-trigger, and her mind far too alert. Something was off, but priorities first: she needed to pull Marco out before anything happens.

According to the files, he and his brother were pure bred Type III vampires, born from a middle class family. Type III because they were born with natural resistance to sunlight. His full name was Marco Mullarkey, and he would've lived with his brother in an apartment complex down at New Meridian. Their father passed away when they were only ten, and left his widowed wife and sons a small business located downtown. He was a manager of a well-known restaurant: Smithfields.

Romeo had been there before, if she remembers her dream correctly… It wasn't a good day for him there (bless his soul).

Due to being preternaturals, they usually avoided visits to hospitals, but they did buy expired blood from blood banks to sustain themselves. All autopsies on Polo were kept to 'Eyes Only' nurses and doctors, those with licenses and clearances to work on him. The results will go to Moka down at the lab, even though they won't mean much.

As a way to get Maud out into the field, she had been assigned to assist Filia in escorting Marco. Needless to say, neither the two were exactly thrilled to work with each other. The blood red headed recruit had several qualms working with a Medici, never mind the theon attached to her head. Probably the bad reputation of her family didn't help, but Rihfort didn't explain herself, and instead just refused to speak.

Aside from the obvious smell of different brands of cigarettes (and possibly cannabis), from what she can get out of Rihfort, a valiant bouquet of different flowers in a single bundle. Assorted roses mostly, all freshly cut and prepared from a florist as a gift. Some daisies, sorbets and sunflowers were in the mix too. There however was an underlying smell of charcoal, the faint smell of its burning from afar which was making it difficult to appreciate the scent of those flowers.

The charcoal smell was probably the harsh and blunt exterior she shows to everyone on a daily basis. The flowers? Perhaps she didn't want to show what they meant anytime soon.

"Alright, this bitch ass better be worth the find. The fuck we bringing him in for?"

"Poor bastard's brother died, and we need to know why he among several others were killed. None of them were linked aside from the poker game."

"Waste of time…" Maud noted but followed with hands in pockets regardless. Filia spoke to the receptionist, whilst Rihfort busied herself by watching patients, nurses and doctors pass by in groups, beds or alone reading results of whatever they were. She hadn't visited the hospital for a long time, at least a year ago if she remembers…

Hospitals and General Practices personally annoy the fiery red head. "I remember being here…" That didn't mean she hated them.

Just as Medici was told the room where Marco was staying in (much to the chagrin of the staff), she heard Maud's murmur. "Sorry?"

She snapped out of a trance. "It's nothing important. Let's just go already, standing around like idiots here." The red head cleared her throat. There was a blank stare from the Detective, but she shook it off and walked ahead, and the recruit followed.

Samson sighed as the three continued passing rooms. With all the technological advancements, it was a wonder why these people are suffering. Magic was prohibited from public use in hospitals, but it would've made a hell of a difference. Some of the patients that were bed ridden included soldiers and civilians injured from the war several months back, some still in a serious state, no thanks to Voltage using whatever means necessary to fight back, and they held their own. In the end, they were outgunned by the combined forces, but still, casualties were high.

At the very least, the Skullgirl and the Medici mafia were beaten… Lorenzo was out there somewhere however. If anything, she'd be glad once she can get a bead on him, and then personally arrest him.

Her mind must've wandered, as Filia hadn't noticed that they were outside the room they needed to pick Marco up. Room number '115B'… Two police officers stood guard outside the room, one a short female feral wolf, and her partner, a tall male of dark skin. As Filia approached with badge in hand, they approached as well. Both were uniformed, and also, both looked exhausted. The feral offered a hand to greet Medici. "Detective?"

"Yes. We're here for Marco. How's he holding up?"

The feral shook her head. "Probably had much less sleep than us." To her partner, the tall male officer was given a thumbs up that everything was under control here, and that he can finally leave his post. "Name's Jenny." Jenny didn't ask for Filia's name as she was told in advanced by staff of her arrival. She opened the door before them. She tended to the lone twin; she wasn't wrong about him having less sleep.

The lonesome twin stood and nodded, his baggy eyes and frizzled hair spoke volumes of his current state. His brother's death would leave a harsh mark, or perhaps there was something else amidst all of this. When he came to greet Medici and Maud, he only gave a nod. His glance to the red-headed recruit however was far longer than a few seconds, as they shared a stare for at least a minute… Neither had noticed of course.

The flowery smell of Maud became a little more distinctive, but Marco himself was blooming with a strong persona. There were no masks, just a flowery, pollen laden smell. And even as another minute passed, the two couldn't stop staring at each other.

Having noticed this, both the Detective and her theon snapped their fingers and a strand respectively to grab both of their attentions. "Hey, gonna stand around all day? Let's go."

"Well excuse me, Princess…" Maud shook her head as she followed, leading Marco and Jenny behind her. Medici entered the elevator with the other three, and two janitors with a mop and bucket also followed.

Marco reserved himself, but Maud pressed on and continued to annoy the Detective. "Friggin' waste of time. Just as I said. Bullshit all the way through."

"Quiet Maud. For even a minute, just don't say anything!" Samson grumbled and scoffed.

The red-head shook her head and scoffed right back. "You ain't in charge."

"Girl, I don't have to be to give you a good ass kickin'."

Filia turned on the two as she took hold of the theon embedded in her head by holding his lower jaw. Her fingers were literally hanging on to his sharp teeth, but the mop of hair knew very well that even with all his might, his teeth will do nothing to her hand, nor would he want to for two reasons: one was that he couldn't hurt Filia on his own personal conscious, and two, if he did, she'd purposely put him through a lot of painful shampooing… Medici also glared at Rihfort with enough vigour to outmatch an army. "Quiet…"

At first, it seemed as though Rihfort and the theon had thoroughly annoyed Medici. That wasn't the case… Marco lifted his head, and saw the two janitors reach into their buckets…

"These two smell awfully like iron."

The shaggy haired vampire took a quick whiff of the air… And he agreed with a silent nod. That's when things went quiet in that cramped space.

It didn't stay quiet for long, once the two janitors reached into their buckets, and out came suppressed pistols. Cramped as it was, a fight still broke out, with Medici flinging herself at the first janitor and smashing the gun wielding hand at the door to sway his aim away from the others, whilst Maud responded in kind with the second janitor and held his gun and aimed towards the ceiling. Rihfort forced her assailant to fire his gun until it was empty, but was thrown off and knocked Jenny and Mullarkey back towards the wall.

Samson tried to restrain his and Filia's target, but he was able to struggle and hold out. It escalated to trading blows between Filia and him whilst Samson kept him in place.

The assailant then revealed a small pocket knife from his boot, and swung at Rihfort. Luckily for her, the vampire stepped in and reached out his arm to take the jab, leaving him wide open. The red-head smacked the Janitor in the jaw, and he let go of the stuck blade. Without a moments delay, the fiery recruit took the small knife that was stuck through Mullarkey's arm, pulling it out before jabbing at the assailant's neck!

No doubt he himself was a preternatural as he still squirmed and struggled against the two. The red-head pushed the VIP back and took hold of the handle, and twisted the blade. It still wasn't enough! With one deep breath, she sent a strong current of her Ripple down from her arm to the small blade, ensuring devastation from within. "FUCK YOU!"

When the elevator stopped, the doors opened before them. Filia threw herself and the janitor out the elevator. Of course, the hostile made a run for it, whilst Medici checked on their VIP. "Said it was gonna be easy, huh?" Filia mocked Maud.

Marco shook his head and gave a thumbs up. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" But he shook his head. "There are people here… They'll get hurt."

Rihfort shook her head. "Go after that fucker!"

Medici nodded before running after the trailing scent of the assassin. The 'janitor' threw aside his mask and made his way through the narrow corridor, not glancing to his pursuer. With each pass by with civilians and staff, he knocked them over, along with whatever obstacles he could reach and push behind himself.

The Detective however was not deterred as she jumped over said obstacles and whomever he had thrown to the ground. "Sorry! So sorry! Sorry!" She kept repeating. Some of these people were undoubtedly already hurt or sick, and using them like dominoes would worsen their current conditions, as well as have some healthy people receive an injury worthy of admission.

Another pass through a hallway before the two run through the Hospital Centre, which were all interconnected balconies above on another from the fifth floor down to the ground floor. They were on the fourth floor, so there was still a long way down.

With all the commotion, staff members and patients scurried out of the way of the two who still ran around after each other. The assassin however decided to take a dramatic exit as he leapt over the balcony, but flawlessly caught on to the first floor balcony's railing. Another preternatural? He pulled himself over without further ado.

But Medici didn't follow examples all the time, and instead threw herself over the railings. Samson entangled himself over her arms and legs, tightening specifically around her hands and feet, right before she pulled off a perfect landing, fist firmly in the ground and feet tiptoeing, still leaving a fracture to the floor beneath her. Luckily, no one was caught in the landing. The scent of bloodlust iron was still strong, but he landed above one floor.

If she remembers correctly, one of the stairways lead to the cafeteria nearby, especially the one where the corridor her fled to lead to. He may have taken another turn to throw her off, but it was a gambit she was willing to make. Closing in on the staircase, she heard a large amount of ruckus behind the double doors right of the staircase. The sign read 'Café'.

Breaking through, the hostile continued to evade her, but had very few options to actually leave, as running through the kitchen would definitely slow him down. The bystanders all tried to get away from the man who ran amok with a pistol, and he raised it at the Detective. Pulling the trigger, the gun clicked. He didn't even let a shot out in the elevator, but some rough handling must've caused a jam of sorts.

He turned to throwing chairs and tables, whilst terrorising some of the civilians. Filia drew her gun from its holster, and directed it towards the assassin who turned to picking up one of the bystanders, a brunette short haired woman, still clad in a nurse outfit. He tugged at her hair, as she whimpered and cried, unable to call for help under all that wailing. Some of the other nurses and doctors tried to step in, but the janitor put the gun against her head.

Filia knew that the gun failed to work, but that nurse could still get hurt. "Leave her alone, she doesn't have anything to do with you!"

"Drop the gun, Medici!"

Always the surname first… "I said, let that nurse go!"

"This is gonna get ugly Fil'!"

It was… Be she didn't want a bystander added to her conscious, nor to anyone else in this room. Luckily for her, backup had arrived in time. Maud and Jenny had the perp flanked from behind, so there really was nowhere to run. The red-head had her handgun drawn, and with a relatively clear shot, but she didn't shoot. The hostage was there, and their perp was a preternatural, perhaps fast enough to throw her in front of the shot.

She didn't even need Medici to tell her that just having guns drawn would bring about bad results, and so she holstered her pistol. Jenny followed reluctantly. "Fucking asshole…"

Filia was last to withdraw, throwing her gun aside, though Samson still encased her arms and legs and hardened them; never can be too careful. Medici looked at the name tag of the nurse… 'Kyanna'… "It's gonna be okay Kyanna." The nurse nodded slowly, still struggling to free herself. "Let her go. It's between you and me. What is it that you want?"

The perp hummed, before loosening his grip on the hostage. "Oh Medici… It's not what I want…" He stopped himself there, and in a split second, he sent Kyanna flying with a straight kick to her back.

The Detective rushed to catch the nurse, stopping her mid-air, though the force was enough to send her aback. "Damn!" Barely landing on her feet, she kneeled to inspect the injured nurse. She was unconscious, but that kick had a lot of horse power behind it. Straight at her back too, which could spell out a pretty harsh diagnosis. Gently setting her aside, Filia stood and removed her trench coat. "You bastard…"

Both Maud and Jenny were mortified by the assassin breaking his promise. They were too trustworthy of him. But the real shock came when Filia rushed at the janitor without a second thought.

The janitor made the first move, a jumping roundhouse kick aiming for her head, but she was barely able to block that, especially with the amount of force behind it. Once he was on his two feet, Medici threw a mean hook, slapping away the mask concealing his face, and taking him aback. He was of dark skin, and silver short hair, his thin build offset by his naturally powerful blows and fast attacks, but yet he couldn't take a punch himself.

"Damn… That hurt!" The silver-haired menace felt his nose run with crimson. Allowing his rage to take over, he threw another overhead roundhouse, only for Medici to stop the blow with her covered arms, and setting him to the ground again. His response was an overhead right swing, but she was ducked in time to land a few hooks and jabs to his side and abdomen. Even Samson gaped at the blazing speed and ferocity of his host's attack, as even the fast Janitor couldn't properly stop the attacks she threw.

Another hook with her left, she dazed him, and he was wide open. Without needing to say anything, she curled her arms around his neck, and her theon tightened her grip. Bowing him down, she threw a volley of knees at his face, his attempts to block were futile, surprising as it was as just a few moments ago, he was overpowering the Detective! Her fury overshadowed his own, and with every passing second, her rage continued to enhance her strength!

He was able to free himself with a few good punches to her abdomen, but that didn't stop her, as she continued sending blow after blow with her fists. Good ole one-two, right in the kisser and another to his chin with a quick uppercut! That last hit send him a few steps back, but she allowed him some reprieve. The silver-haired janitor tried to throw his own volley of fast punches, and even went as far as speeding up, but Filia was able to take his attacks or block them.

Medici responded in kind, using more vicious punches, ones that would break bones of most normal people, but she was throwing them in rows! The perp was able to hold his ground, but Filia broke his guard, and Samsom followed up by smacking him across his right, spinning him around for his host who rushed in and wrapped her arms around his waist. The futakuchi-onna tightened the grip before the Detective heaved and lifted the janitor over herself, landing her back on the ground whilst her opponent hit the floor harshly, head first.

The floor beneath them was smashed in by the force, but both combatants had energy left in them yet! Quickly rolling aside, she stood up and readied herself for his next rush. He was barely able to stand, but from the moment he tried to straighten himself out, the Detective quickly sprinted at him, tackling him towards the counter, luckily, the bystanders learned to steer away from them before they approached. Medici started to throw punches, and then kneeled atop him as she decked him over and over, his attempts to block were futile!

Her teeth still gritted together, and her eyes glaring full of death, even beating the now broken assailant couldn't sate her wrath! It took Samson and Jenny to reel her away from him! "Filia! Hey, kid! Stop!"

"Woah! Woah! Fuck!" Even the two of them could barely hold her back, but Maud stepped in and rivalled her strength. After a few moments to allow her to calm, her strength calmed as well. "Damn, you were gonna kill that asshole!" Jenny noted.

"Fuck Det…" Rihfort couldn't help but feel guilty for doubting Medici. For a person she didn't know at all, she still lost it, as if she was taking revenge for a family member. Though the beating was over, Rihford could see in Filia's glassy eyes that the dish she served was cold, and unsatisfying… "Didn't think you had it in ya."

Filia shook her head. Her hands bled with open cuts from all those punches she gave, but there wasn't any grimace as she rubbed her hands against each other. She stood and reached out for the hand sanitizer mounted on the wall, pressing and squeezing several drops to her left hand. Still no grimace as Medici cleansed her hands, and she left the two to clean up. The commotion would probably have attracted attention of the Egrets, or HQ. That rampage however meant that Medici had quite a lot of anger still in her heart, perhaps she really did hate her own family for what they've done. Or was it that she couldn't stand failing to save people?

Most of the bystanders were left gaping speechless, some were already badmouthing Medici's brutality. The few that tended to Jenny were thankful, yet behind their smiles couldn't help but fear the Detective.

* * *

The drive was silent. Clean up crew arrived an hour later to take away the perp. Though the scary part is how Marco knew him. His name was Buxton Humphries, and was a Cambion, a demon/human hybrid, originating from another middle-class preternatural family. That means there are others trying to clean up and cover up what Anya couldn't finish, or being hired to do so. Don't have to be mortal to enjoy the riches of cash or security.

At least the silence allowed the detective some peace of mind…

The car stopped just outside the Redgrave Office. While HQ offered safety with the number of well-trained Egrets armed with high grade equipment, Marco's presence could attract unwanted attention.

"So we gonna leave him here with this 'Nikki' chick? The fuck?"

"Trust me, she'll do better than what the whole of HQ could provide, and who would think to look here?" Then again, the Office was seemed more of a service shop, would attract very little attention for its small offering of services. Seeing as it offers Private Eye services, who would think that a Private Eye would be protecting an important asset for the Egrets? Also to note, is that Nikki is a devil hunter, and a proficient one at that (profitable however is a different story).

Marco nodded as he stepped out of the car. "I've heard the stories. I was always nervous about stopping by."

"Whatchu mean?" Maud raised a brow.

"Haven't you heard? Nikki is one of the top demon hunters out there." Marco elaborated.

Samson nodded. "Kicks ass, and doesn't break a sweat doing it."

"A load a bullshit." Maud said, but her voice cracked slight bit; knowing what Filia, a current generation Captain, could do, a senior could be miles better. The doors opened without a problem, and as they entered, they found themselves in a small office which had a pool table, an antique Jukebox, several plants and a desk in the middle. There were doors leading to other rooms, probably storage and personal bedrooms. There was a sofa also set besides the Jukebox.

As a testament to the demon hunter's proficiency, many ornaments were of weapons of different kinds. Each weapon were hung up my mounting racks, furthermore they were locked in with rack cages. The only weapons that weren't mounted alongside them were the few hung up behind the desk, a long oversized claymore, two large custom handguns, and a sheathed katana sword. She didn't have to be near the weapons to understand how intimidating they were…

From where she stood, the edge of the claymore almost shone in what little light seeped in to the office, its thickness not offset by being dull. Quite the opposite in fact, as if it looks sharp enough to cut cleanly through just about anything. The guns looked very similar to the UF45 she had herself, but they were of a steel frame, longer barrel and furthermore had ported compensators and different finishes to distinguish their roles.

The silver gun had ivory grips, specialised combat sights whilst its blackened counterpart had wooden finish grips. Nothing could leave such an impact just by looking at them.

Filia smirked. "Impressed? You should see she what she does with 'em."

One of the doors creaked open. Emerging from the darkness of the room inside was a woman standing 5'6'', red coat with navy blue accents. Silver short hair with patches of black, a red and blue eye, a dark skinned rabbit feral. "Fili-buster. Nice to see you around." Removing her coat, she hung it upon a standing rack. Now she was simply clad in a navy blue thick vest. "This the new kid? And the VIP?" Nikki asked as she looked at Maud and Marco.

Marco approached, arm ready for a handshake. Nikki accepted, but even with a light grip, the vampire found himself struggling to hang on. "F-firm s-shake…" When she released, she smiled as he slowly pulled back and shook the pain away from hand. She did that on purpose…

As for Maud, she only folded her arms and stared with an impish smirk. However, Maud raised a brow at the Private Eye: "Have we met before?"

Mason shook her head. "Probably not." The nephelim folded her arms and scoffed. "Hailing all the way from the Dragon Empire… Learn an age old art and master it in a year. Remind me of a friend, lives down at the Chess Kingdom."

Maud nodded, but still refused to show a wider curved mouth. Instead she reached for her pocket, producing her vape. In the blink of an eye, the vape was swiped from hand by the Private Eye, who inspected the device. "Hey, that's mine!"

"A disgrace to smokers' kiddo." Putting it on the desk, she then pointed at a small case right beside the vape. "Look in that, you'll love it."

Rihfort grunted but followed through the request. Opening the small metallic box, she saw that it was filled with Kingsman Cigars, pre-cut, fresh from Edonia, New Kord according to the brand. Kingsman brand cigarettes and cigars were known for their quality, though their cigars were cheap in price. "No way… Gran Corona, Oscuro wrap!?"

"Take one. My treat."

The red-head was hesitant, but she couldn't help but reach out for the case, pinching the first brown branch she felt. The tobacco leaf felt well aged to the touch. No doubt these were the higher end, mature cigars that would cost up to at least ten bones for just two sticks. Problem was that she didn't have a lighter. Producing a box of matches from her desk's draw, Nikki handed the box to the red-head who desired a real smoke!

Taking one match, she scratched it against the side, igniting the small, yet potent flame. The Gran Corona burned from its end, but it was slow and soothing, only gradually burning faster when Rihfort toked. A strong taste of matured, refined tobacco pasted itself onto her tongue, an experience she had put aside for the artificial flavours of her substitute. Yet nothing could compare to the real thing…

Mason noticed the young Detective's cut and bruised hands, which she did try to hide them behind Samson's locks. The parasite sighed as he frowned, stuck in a loop of thoughts. The feral stood: "Filia. Can we talk?"

It seemed as though Filia was in a loop of thoughts as well, as Nikki's urging snapped her out of a trance. It was a silent moment before she could register what was said, but she nodded and stood whilst the Senior Private Eye. They took the conversation outside, as Marco and Maud rested in the Office. Even in their privacy, Filia was withdrawn within herself, more so than her theon.

Mason snapped her fingers. "Det. Kiddo?"

Both the theon and young Detective turned to the Private Eye. "Sorry… I…"

"I know kid." She nodded, placing her hand on the Junior's shoulder. "I've been there."

Filia sighed: "I still wish there could've been something I've done so that someone didn't have to get hurt."

"Kiddo, it could've been a lot worse." From the reports she received from Egret HQ, Filia wasn't so kind when it came to serving the perp's 'just desserts'. The hard working hands were a good indicator of such events. Even so, it was just as bitter serving it as much as it is being on the receiving end. Punching Lorenzo square in the face was cathartic, but beating someone half to death in front of a crowd? Probably wouldn't win her any votes as 'best Detective'.

If anything, her theon felt worse, especially the fact that he cannot hold back his host alone anymore. Medici has steeled herself, far more than anyone had first anticipated. He was both proud of her and yet apologetic, as if he feels responsible for steering her towards this path. She used to be an innocent schoolgirl who had forgotten her past life. While Filia was mostly in control, the hairy parasite had coaxed her in to fighting, and then fighting Marie.

It was a big mistake for the both of them. They delved back into the deep end of a deep fryer, finding out things that the both of them didn't want to know about. Revelations about Filia's past, a reminder of how Samson had his previous hosts killed for his own selfish gain. The innocent schoolgirl was shattered, and the strong theon for the first time in a long time, felt vulnerable. Filia's life was at best a slice of toast turned into pure burnt carbon, whilst Samson struggled with his own personal guilt.

Even now, they feel haunted by past troubles. Perhaps what made them strong was that they were willing to share the pain, but both have their limits. Nikki could attest to that. "It's not easy you guys but you've made it this far. I mean, what's to say that you should stop?"

"I don't know Nikki." She shook her head.

Samson grunted. "It feels like we stood by and did shit in the end. And when we did get our hands dirty, were we any better than the 'family'?"

Mason sternly shook her head. "We all make mistakes, and we all make rash decisions from time to time. But don't let it hold you down: you're gonna be living with it."

The junior took a moment to process that thought, before she took into consideration that Nikki had went through a lot herself. Made worse by how she had come this far, and what she had to lose in the process. They shared a similar pain, only Nikki perhaps outshone nearly everyone she met when it came to fixing their own mirror. The stories that she and Sienna would listen to would always leave Medici and Contiello to appreciate what they have now.

Mason was still cracked, but perhaps she stayed that way to allow herself to continue down the road she travels. And everyone she passes by, she'll help them down a better path, for better or for worse. It's not obvious, but she had a bitter aftertaste of a scent, with the forefront naturally sweet and potent with spices. How many years will she endure that everlasting after effect?

"Check in at HQ. I'll speak to the Commander, see if I can get you a day off." It should help her clear her mind from things. "I can handle the newbie."

Filia nodded. "But there's one thing you might wanna look in to. A school downtown. Private… I saw…" She cleared her throat. "She looked like the Crimson Scourge…"

Nikki took a moment to process what she said, but nodded as acknowledgement. "I'll have someone look in to it." She nodded to herself. "Well, no point standing around here. Come on in, I'll order a few pizzas. Sienna and Micheal are on the way, said they have some important news." The Private Eye opened the door, and allowed the Junior Detective first through.

After, the Private Eye turned her attention to the red-head smoking the cigar. It'd only been a few minutes but such a high quality smoke should last a good ten minutes. Even an addict with no hope of return would be sated by such a rich taste. Leviathan had slid into the room, standing his post on the desk while Maud's hand shook and her eyes blankly staring. Marco was already asleep in his seat, so he hadn't noticed.

Rihfort took the stick to mouth, dragging deep, though she wasn't looking to sate herself at this point. The drake hopped on to the floor and slithered towards Mason, and she kneeled to take hold of him. "What's up Levi?"

The theon looked towards the red-head, before returning his gaze to Mason. "The smoke is nothing new. But perhaps it's filling up faster than it should."

Mason nodded. "Alright kiddo. Wanna come walk with me?"

There was a pause, but then a chuckle. There was no hint of genuine malice, and it faded prematurely as Rihfort brought the near finished stick to mouth. Another silent drag, and another… A mindless stare, a quick head turn away before she slowly stood from her seat. There was a sigh, but no rant. "Shit…" She said to herself. Another moment of silence, awkward and unsettling, but she worked up the courage to agree. Without another word the Chessian retrieved her vape from the desk; she followed the feral rabbit out.

As the two emerged from the small service shop, Maud threw her now finished cigar aside, still walking after her superior. "Hah… Fucking good stuff that is. Haha…" There was a lack of drive behind the lacklustre laughter. The silence had to be broken however. "So what. You run this shop long? Small shit, don'cha wanna like, expand or something?"

"I like my shop as is. It's cosy." She slipped her hands into her coat pockets. "Had it for about twenty years, day in and day out it's always good to come home."

"Workin' on a shitload of missions? Pfft. What a way to live life. No fuckin' about, hell I bet you haven't been to a real bash for those years." Without another cigar at hand, she returned to using her vape. A few drags to calm her senses.

Nikki shrugged. "There used to be a time where I loved throwing myself to parties. I'm not some twenty-something kid fresh out of boot camp, so that luxury doesn't apply to me as much." Nor does she care about parties as much as she did before.

Maud shook her head. "So you got married, had two kids and worked, worked, worked? Fuck, that's a boring fuckin' life."

As they continued down the street, the Reaper Senior scoffed. "So what do you know about life huh?" There wasn't a response as the Chessian Reaper stopped herself. "You're not in a normal life anymore. The day you started your Ripple training was the day you locked yourself in a long, hard cycle." The energising properties of such an art allowed mortal users to live dramatically longer than that of normal people. No doubt the reason why Maud mastered her skills so far was because she was trained under a master who had decades upon decades of training.

She will age, but Maud has a much longer way to go before she has to find something to leave behind. "Millions, if not billions of normal people wish for immortality, or a longer life. You've got one wish, but is it all worth it? You're gonna spend the next several decades, if not a century, partying?" Another bout of silence.

The frozen look of shock plastered on Rihfort's face spoke volumes of how she felt, and Nikki shook her head. "I… I…" She stopped herself. She had no answer to all those questions, perhaps will never find them too. The real question is, why didn't she bother to ask herself such a question? Then there was more silence as she looked down to the ground, the mood melancholic as ever.

Mason approached, and threw a hand at her shoulder. "Somethin' on your mind?"

"It's nothing."

"A fat load of shit. If it was nothing, you'd be still acting like a shit face spoiled brat." She had seen this look before. She'd seen it in the mirror, seen it on other people's faces. It was a memory on rewind, the kind one doesn't want to be reminded of, but it keeps popping up.

Another moment of silence, but it was one of solace. Rihfort turned away. "How can you live with that…?"

"With what?"

She really didn't want to say, but she had to speak, otherwise it'd never be pulled away from mind and heart. "You get people… People who… Who can hurt others, like that? The way that it changes that person forever? Then there's that guy. I didn't see his face when I..." She stopped as she brought the suppository smoke to mouth, dragging deep breaths. "Those eyes… Empty eyes."

Nikki folded her arms, nodding at herself. It was easily figured out from there… More silence as the red-head worked on draining the contents of her substitute smoke. Each exhale wasn't followed up with sigh of relief, and she puffed away. Breaking it away from mouth, the FNG continued. Only a few hours in and already she was startled by her first kill. That alone however wasn't the only thing that was troubling the new girl.

"I've seen that kinda face before. Eyes wide open, staring at nothing, hell… They weren't even staring!" She combed her long hair with her hands, sighing at the grievances.

Nikki relaxed her standing and pressed on: "How long ago?"

The Chessian threw her arms about. "About… A year?" Time hadn't been so graceful, she couldn't remember it exactly. The moment it happened is all she remembers. "She was a few years older than me. We never got along, but I always screwed her over on that." A tear ran down as she shook her head at the memory. "I kept telling her 'you should die, you bitch'. I didn't mean it literally… I don't know who he was but…" A sniffle, an arm across her eyes, another snuffle.

"Take your time."

Maud's sobs began to work harder as she couldn't hold them back. "Some guy, he had a long coat. White feathered wings… I never saw his face because I passed out right after…" She flailed her left arm, pointing it in the general direction of the hospital. "Ended up in that same hospital."

'White feathered wings…?' Thoughts aside, Mason pressed on. "How did you feel? When you saw your 'friend', with those 'eyes'?"

How could she explain it? Words alone couldn't say when needed to be said. As much as Maud wanted her voice heard, it was drowned out by the expressionless stares. "I don't know…" She really didn't know what to say, but she wanted to say something. A year's worth of agony in training was easier to deal with. "How do you live with that…? I killed another person. I jabbed that fuckin' knife down his throat and scorched him with Ripple."

Feral Private Eye Mason sighed and turned. "It's never easy, the first kill. Sure, I've killed demons without thinking twice about it. Most demons are cannon fodder, emotionless or irredeemable monsters; the moment you cross the line and take the life of a person?" She shook her head, knowing it all too well. "And seeing death before your eyes, and you still weren't ready for it." For her, the feral was able to live with a stitched up scar, a few beforehand made her ready for that one. Maud had so very few to strengthen herself against it, and it's stinging badly.

"What was her name? Your friend I mean."

There was only a second of pause before she turned to the Private Eye. "Jenna." A year on, saying that name still hurts down to the bone.

"It's not easy, never is. But you gotta carry that around with ya. We've all done something we're not proud of. If Jenna rings you enough to cry, then I'll stand by ya, until you're ready to walk the road again." She sighed. "A name for me still rings true."

Maud stared at the solemn Reaper, with glassy eyes of honesty. There really was a name that was engraved on to her heart, branded more like. Perhaps more, because such eyes were akin to the wise, to her Sensei, to Reala. What has Nikki seen to have such knowledgeable sight? "Did that person have a name?" The rabbit sighed and nodded her head.

"I'll tell you another time." She approached Maud, and then threw her arms around her neck. Reeling her in, she pressed her chin against the newbie's shoulder. "I know right now you're hurting. That person that died, the person you killed; they were both people, and we are too."

"Still… A life is a life, isn't it…?" Her sobs strengthened, her tears flowed ever so much…

"It is. And it takes real courage, and a real sense of humanity to be cry about it." The FNG agreed all too well when she returned the favour, and buried her head in Nikki. The shell wasn't fully cracked, there was still a long way to go before Maud is ready. Still, it was disheartening to see her wail. "You're not alone on this, kid…"

* * *

Kazuo stopped the mini-van right outside the office. "Well. We're here guys." With his squad, Sienna and Micheal sat at the back of the mini-van. Traffic was hefty due to all the clean-up from all the celebrations of the parade. Even the Commanders had fun, all the drinks, the food, and the cheerful spirits of the crowds all make for a good day.

Knee and Klo were first to exit, before allowing the love birds out as well. "Haven't seen a parade that big since I'd moved to New Kord." The demoness admitted. Her old home town had quite a few parades, and most would pretty much lead any participant into a whirlpool of fun, but leave them with a pounding headache afterwards. "But I guess it's back to business as usual." She must admit, she would've liked another day off.

Kaz and Klo were already at the door, Micheal not too far behind, leaving the two ladies to follow suit. Of course, there was no rush to it, everyone just went at their own pace. "Well it's good to be home." Squigly sighed in relief. "I wonder how Levi' is."

"Probably missing ya like no tomorrow. I mean, you two are family after all." From death to new life, the two continued to work in unison. They may not but permanently stuck together as they were before, but the two were in sync when they are together. Leviathan had been with the Contiello family for generations, he would know them all too well.

Contiello nodded. "Yes." She smiled at the thought, but then it begged the question: "Do you have any family?"

The Crimson Skin threw her arms in the air, before resting her hands behind her head. "A sister. We were close. Though we went our separate ways, and Reala found me. That's how I ended up meeting these two." A day didn't go by at the thought of how their first meeting was strained, Knee didn't like the idea of working with anyone other than her sister. Otherwise, she would've been working alone to this day.

"I see."

"There was once a time where I pissed them off to no end. Now? I love working with those guys. It's almost never a dull moment."

Time passed on and things changed, gradually but surely. Kaz and Klo were perhaps the closest friends she has, fire forged from all the fighting. Some extra gentle applications of warm conversation helped to melt the icy barriers between them.

From Kazuo's end, he was always the one to encourage her, and didn't skip a beat when it came to helping her out in a jam. His carefree yet positive outlook on life ingrained a seed into her mind that helped open her doors to the others. Foxhound tolerated her initial reluctance, which was a feat in itself. Foxhound does doubt his leadership abilities at times, but the Crimson Skin trusts his judgement when he makes a decision. Outside of missions, he's just another regular person who will listen to whatever she and Klo would say.

For Klo, he was a step further into the carefree territory, furthermore, he really enjoys life around him. From the small things to the big things, he always had something to say about it, and in most cases it comes with a smug smile that has become something that she grew fond of. The Captain himself was as fond of it as she, both couldn't help but smile back whenever he did. Alas, Klo wasn't as straightforward as the Captain in his attitude.

Deep down, there's a hint of concern to garnish a rancid meal. The long eared feral happened to think a lot, and think, and think, and think… A lot of questions must sit unanswered in his mind every day, and perhaps a lot of them aren't of anything he's directly involved in, if at all. Throwing herself back, the first time she noticed he was down on the dumps, it was during a patrol around a populated makeshift town in No-Man's Land. The feral pondered on how hard life must be for those people, who had little food and water, among many other things.

At first, Knee queried him, he didn't want to admit that he wanted to balk. On their break, he couldn't help but ask all those questions, but she didn't have any answers. It was easy to figure out the solution when they both pictured themselves as the poor souls of that town, thirsty and starving, not knowing who dies next or when they would perish themselves.

Knee sighed at the thoughts. "Those two are idiots, but I am too. They're brothers to me, I'm a sister to them. Perhaps Reala assigned me to Arthur Squad for that reason."

"Maybe." Sienna murmured. Right now, she was assigned with Micheal and Marcus, AKA, Doc. The relationship between herself and Mason-Fox was anyone's guess, what with all the public displays of affection. Doc preferred to keep things simple, it almost made him seem reserved to everyone else.

There were a few people that could coax more out of Doc than a simple smile, one of them undoubtedly was Knee. How their relationship began, perhaps that was a story to ask for another time. "You know, I'm jealous. Didn't think that Mick would pop the question. Doc and I have been around for what, nearly two years?"

Contiello giggled. "He'll ask. I assure you. Perhaps we could invite your sister to the bachelorette's party." She fiddled with her newly fitted collar…

"I'd love that." Knee smiled. She led on, climbing the steps to the office. The demoness allowed Squigly first in, and she accepted the gesture as she opened the door. Both ladies found themselves rushing in when the strong smell of freshly baked goodness enticed them.

Nikki opened one of the flat boxes, whiffing the smell towards them with Leviathan's tail. Even the drake couldn't help but drool... "Welcome home Squigly." Nikki then stopped herself when she saw the collar, with a ring fitted under a thin chain. Turning to her son, she saw he had the same. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. "Oh boy. So that's what you two meant by good news huh?"

"How does it look?" Contiello asked as she continued to fiddle with the ring.

"Amazin'. Still. Doesn't mean you're off the hook just yet."

"Oh? Did she do something wrong?" The theon on her shoulder asked before slithering towards Squigly.

Nikki nodded, but the smile assured that she was mostly joking. "Left me hanging here for a few days. So you get the first assignment from me. Mick, you've got one too. Then I'll talk to you about 'arrangements'."

Kazuo shook his head. "Business as usual."

"Filia headed out not too long ago. The newbie and the VIP are taking their rest in the guest room." There was only one bed, but there was a sofa. Of course, like a real gentleman, Marco took the sofa, and Maud was given the bed. Comfy. At least she could rest, and drain her sorrows in a dream. Hopefully…

"How was she?" Sienna asked, knowing first hand of her strangely alluring angry behaviour.

The Private Eye smiled. "Reminds me of when I was a prick during my College years." Been far too long, but the brash 'bitchiness' had mellowed, and she grew fond of people. Growing fond of people always changes one's own personality, even a slight bit. The icing on the cake? Just about every Reaper she meets is worthy a soft spot in her heart. "She had a bit of a rough day, so try not to bother her tonight."

Squigly nodded. Somehow, she had a feeling that her step-mother had chipped away at the iron crust of Rihfort's shell. Perhaps the mission left a lasting impression, and the motherly Private Eye stepped in to keep her spirits up. "Well. More pizza for us."

Kazuo stepped in. "Good, but I think you've seen the latest report from Medici, right?"

"Story time over dinner. Wonderful, but I'll pass." Nikki shook her head. She already knows the story, reading the debrief wouldn't be any less unpleasant.

As for Filia's findings, she'll send Sienna to assist in the investigation at the said school tomorrow. Carol will be taking Filia's place for the day. As for the 'Janitor', she and Mick will pay a visit to Egret HQ, get some answers out of him. There was something about all of this that seemed all too convenient to be coincidence, but she didn't want to think it was fate either.

Any time there were a mesh of events, she knew that something big was on the horizon. As for the Angel that Squigly killed beforehand, Nikki had a feeling she still had some help. Perhaps she didn't want to reveal who had helped her, by that person's request. The demon that attacked Marco had a reason to do so, and it wasn't anything personal. Something was afoot.

Then there's the fact that there was someone who looked exactly like Eliza roaming around a school. Definitely something was on the horizon. "Anyways. You guys enjoy the pizza. Whiskey's under the desk" She said as she took one box for herself.

"Something wrong Ma?" Mick asked.

"Just something to attend to." Mason said as she left the office to the Juniors.

Contiello hummed curiously whilst she helped Leviathan fit back into her head. Kazuo folded his arms, also curious about what may be bothering the demon hunter. Was it something they had missed? Knee was first to break the awkward silence: "Might have to call in on HQ…"

Kazuo shook his head and sighed. "More shit to deal with. Comes with the job I guess." He tilted his head, lazily relaxing as he leaned back on the desk. "Hey Mick. You know your mom the most out of us."

"Perhaps?" He said, shrugging. "I mean she IS my mom."

"So what's it like?" Leviathan pondered. "Having her as a mother I meant."

The hybrid feral took a seat on the sofa, slice of pepperoni in hand. Fond memories, if not, ones of hardship. "She may be a little bit harsh at times, but she really did feel like the dream mom. The ones who spoil you with every penny they got, the one that makes every minute spent with kids worth framing in mind. Fleur and I always loved that." He chuckled at those fond moments. "When I was five and Fleur was eight, we always asked for toys. My pa would always ask ma, and she'd get us to do some chores or something to keep us busy, but she didn't screw us over on the promises. And whenever we wanted to go for burgers or a kid's meal down at the joint, maybe two milkshakes, she'd take us there! No questions asked!"

Squigly smiled at the thought. Nikki spoiling her young children, but also keeping them on the right road as much as possible. They appreciated every gift to a considerable degree. "And when you got to High School?"

The feral leaned back, still smiling. "Man, she was always goin' on like…" He stood from his seat and pointed aimlessly at the door: "'You hurt my kid, I'll hurt ya more'! I mean, seriously, I was like the coolest freshman."

"And she went on to teach you more about fighting, right?"

Mick nodded. "Step by step, but amidst all the studying in school and training in combat, there was always a smile from ma to the both of us. A smile to pa as well in most cases. Though there are times where… She didn't smile." He relaxed in his seat. "Every February sixteenth, and every time someone was hurt in front of her, that smile goes real fast. I remember one time when we stopped by a small restaurant down at the Chess Kingdom. Summer vacation, I was only seventeen at the time."

Throwing himself back, it didn't feel like he could simply forget what happened. A rowdy customer didn't want to be served by one of the waitresses, who happened to be a feral. There were no justifications, just prejudice. At first, everyone minded their own business, but the feral waitress, a cat hybrid, served their table and she was among the best. Even the other waitresses didn't understand why this man couldn't stand her.

She wore the usual outfit, professional waistcoat, long sleeved white shirt, dress pants and shoes, and a name tag as per restaurant policy. First initial and then surname. P. Amelia, and the second name rang a strong bell within his mother. Her first girlfriend was a cat feral, Nina Amelia if he remembers. Of course, Nikki didn't press on that matter, but was encouraging to their waitress for the good service.

As for the rowdy customer, he continued to bash at the waiters and waitresses, and several customers at that. It hit breaking point when he noticed Nikki cheering the waitresses and waiters on despite the pressure thrown against them. He made two major mistakes: insulting his mother was the first. The second was trying to use, of all things considered, a spoon to assault her. The insult however was directed towards his grandmother, who he never knew.

Of course, in a show of disproportionate retribution, the man ended up in hospital, with a few second degree burns. A diagnosis she personally inflicted with a fresh bowl of thick, tomato soup with spices. Icing on the cake was that said spices consisted of dried grounded peppers of varying kinds.

She didn't smile for the rest of the day after, at least not the same one he had come to know. He didn't really know his own grandmother, but if his own mother was so brash to defend her from any form of dishonour, she meant a lot to the Private Eye.

Another similarity that his fiancé and mother shared, and one he shared to some extent as well: they were all fond of their mother. But he wasn't as extreme as the two who had as much as in common as twin siblings willing to share the path down the road. Of course, Squigly was different: she was relatively ladylike and favoured elegance over being straight forwards, owing to her background. Well, his mother did come from a well off family however.

"That's a rough story." Kazuo said as he folded his arms. "It's just like my grandpa said. She's a bird that was broken, but she's still flying high…"

Both Sienna and Mick nodded in sync. They couldn't have agreed more.

* * *

Another day, another dollar, another annoyance. Eliza and Dima were luckily able to escape the after-school crowds by leaving a minute early. DL requested that they arrive back at the safe house as quick as possible. The early leave made all the difference.

The two were greeted by the vixen outside their warehouse. As usual, she had her trusty large sidearm to her holster. Never could be too careful, especially around the Port. "Glad you guys could make it."

"What seems to be the problem, Dee?" The feral asked as he approached.

The vixen sighed. "Something went down at the Hospital. A Cambion attacked." She further explained that he was under Egret custody, but it confirms a few suspicions she had. There was a party involved, trying to silence several people, one of them was still alive. Looking further into the backgrounds of those that were murdered at the Casino, ALL of them had connections to various high profile preternaturals.

None of them probably knew each other or about that fact, but no doubt they withheld some very important Intel about such people that could spell bad news. Or they were targeted for getting involved with other people's business for the sake of who they knew. Either way, that was one clue they had to work with, but they still needed more bread crumbs before they could piece a slice of bread together. "Anything from your end of the bargain?"

"Very little. But I did notice… Something." The Doppelganger slipped her hands into her dress pants pockets, shaking her head. "The Vice Principle. I felt something strange about her." Dima hadn't noticed it, but Eliza couldn't be wrong. Certain preternaturals are good at hiding themselves from most other people, but Eliza was the niche kind of person that they needed for such situations. Hell, her outburst from yesterday was a sign that there was something up about that woman, yet he couldn't sense it.

With all the whiffed attempts to catch out the strange occurrences at night, perhaps actively searching for something odd in the day would pose better results. "She even knew the name, 'Crimson Scourge'." The Doppelganger didn't want to be associated with that name.

That's when the questions and the answers stopped. DL drew her hand cannon, and racked the slide several times to eject a few rounds. There were five .440 corbon rounds, perfect for eliminating elephants and a raging rhino. Eliza knew why she was handing them over… "Just be careful 'Liza… If she knows about the 'Crimson Scourge', then she definitely isn't no ordinary teacher."

It was a sure shot how she was going to use them. Without a gun, the bullets will be difficult to use, but not impossible. She had one trick up her sleeve… "I won't hold my breath."

"And please, make sure you don't attract attention like you did at the bar." Few months still fresh on the mind, Eliza really did prove herself when she took down several thugs at a bar at Innsmouth. The best part was that most of it was bare handed. "If it escalates any further, do not stay there. Call in and I'll pick you up myself."

Dimitri nodded. "And a plan B?"

"No point standing there. Guess you'll have to fight thereafter." She urged the two over as she led them back into the warehouse. "Horus and Albus are picking up some dinner for us. Dragonian food today. Sounds good?"

Both nodded. "They didn't forget to grab some koroke? They better not have, otherwise it's 'owl stew' and 'fried jackal' for tomorrow." She threatened, but she smirked at the thought. "That does sound delicious. What do you think Dima?"

"Don't tempt me… Two large guys for a meal?" He licked his lips.

DL shook her head. "She meant literally." Though she did agree… It was tempting.

"I prefer my meat as raw as possible, so I wouldn't trust either of you cooking." Dima added. "But I also like a really good helping of juicy pie…"

Eliza shook her head. "The both of you have issues." All the talking made her hungrier… Speaking of food: "Look." She pointed at the 4x4 which slowed to park, the two ferals waving hands from the window. The jackal exited first, and opened the door to the back seats. From the backseat, he pulled several bags of Dragonian food. "Took your sweet time."

"The korokes are to blame. Ordered an extra-large portion, JUST for you." The owl approached with another bag, the smell of fried breadcrumbs, minced pork and chicken with herbs and spices…

The Doppelganger could not mistake that smell. "I believe you two have just won me over…"

"No use standing around. Let's go inside, tuck in!" Horus urged. The others stepped inside the warehouse, but the owl was stopped by the doppelganger of his former employer. "Hmm? Something bothering you?"

She shook her head. "I just have one question: If DL hadn't found you and offered you this place, would you have stayed with Sekhmet?"

There was a pause, momentary silence where the two stood, staring at each other. Then the large owl adjusted his spectacles as he turned away. "Perhaps. I did promise my duties to help Eliza…" And he turned over her shoulder: "And my assignment continues. It's just that my employer and the environment is different."

"Horus."

"Hmm?"

The doppelganger tried to think of something to finish up, but words wouldn't form, both her head and mouth hadn't anything to make use of. She adjusted her hat. "Nevermind. It's… Nothing important." And she walked ahead of the feral, whom followed.


	3. Chapter 3: Converging Cells

Good scars, bad scars… The former ASG, Carol, looked in the flip out mirror from her side, examining her still scarred face. At the very least, her skin tone had grown into a natural shade of faded amber, which was better than he sickly pale several months back.

Again, in the passenger seat for a long drive. The drive between New Kord and the Canopy Kingdom always lasted a good three hours without a pause at Pit-Stop 109. Today's driver just happened to be Gabriel, who had stopped at the New Kord Mansion from the Chess Kingdom. Gabriel is one of the senior members, of the First Gen Ops, a Colonel who specialises in marksmanship and sniping.

Not only that, he took over Moka's spot as Carol's trainer, in which he taught her a few tricks in extended ranged combat. While she was no sniper, her training has brought her accuracy levels to that of a designated markswoman. Gabriel was also good at putting her through much more hell than either Moka or Lab-8, both which have created stressful training courses, but nothing like the feral that she works with now. He was a monster that would put the roughest of training instructors to shame, the strictest of teachers wouldn't hold a candle to him.

Her early daily regiments would've been starting the day with an inadequate breakfast, put her through tons of obstacles with absurd penalties if she had failed. One could just cry at being forced to restart a nine-part obstacle course, being shot at by paintballs and beanbag shotgunners. All of whom were good at making it near impossible to get past step one. Then a fifteen minute break, more gruelling runs, and then dinner with MREs.

Weeks would pass on and her regiments became easier, slowly but surely. Her anger thankfully helped her push on, and as more time passed, beanbags and paintballs weren't as agonising and annoying. Eventually she was made to work new obstacle courses, before finally reaching the speed demon courses. She didn't set an outstanding record, but nonetheless she was able to keep pace with some of the fastest on the list, including Kazuo.

Today's assignment was to assist in an investigation, and whilst Filia would've been the perfect candidate, she was given the honour to take over the operation herself. Hearing that she had a run-in with an assassin, and nearly beat him to death, wouldn't have been a pleasant experience. Fighting Medici's, undead and demons didn't leave her with any sign of trauma, but most of those battles never occurred in front of innocent bystanders. Filia didn't even go as far as she did, having made sure that whom she did kill or eliminate were taken down fast so that they didn't suffer.

Giving a heavy serving of knuckle sandwiches was not only painful, but it showed how ruthless she could be. For all the reasons she beat this assassin, all came down to naught when she crossed a very thin line. It made her skin crawl, just thinking about how Filia is trying to cope with one of the biggest moral mistakes she had made.

Perhaps it wasn't far off from what some of the Senior Reapers would do. Painwheel already understands that Reala isn't so soft when innocents or even a Reaper, is harmed. Of course, Valerie was on the receiving end of some fine beatings, and the fact that he went toe to toe against perhaps one of the strongest Skullgirls ever known without any assistance meant one thing: anyone who couldn't compete on that level and is in Reala's sights, will probably be praying for the Trinity to save them. That said, why would he need the likes of everyone else to help him?

Alas, deep questions like those will sooner or later be answered… Somehow, Painwheel had a feeling that the Commander is upset over recent events as well.

"Mind in the gutter, lass?" The hybrid feral asked.

"Oh?" Carol shook her head. "Sorry. Just been thinking you know…"

"Ah don' worry 'bout it. Filia had a spurt, but she's a strong one from what I 'ear."

"I don't know. Strong doesn't mean invincible."

Gabriel nodded. "But it also means that people get up faster from a fall." The city seemed a closer from their viewpoint. Not long now, and first stop would be at Redgrave Office. "But right now, let's focus on what's hand. You're goin' into a school, so that means no big guns. Just keep a sidearm, maybe your cello case."

Makes sense. With so many bystanders around, something above a low calibre handgun would be far too risky. "So, you're planning on meeting the FNG?"

"Of course. Probably teach her a good few things." Considering that Maud had already been through a hellish training regiment, the feral Colonel didn't need to go about setting up a new course for Maud. Whilst he steered with his left, he brought out a pack of cigarettes from the cup holder, taking one between his lips. His offer of one to Carol was turned down of course, though she took the time to find a spare lighter in the glove compartment. Once lit, he took a good puff down. "Mmm, might get that prat, Patrick, involved. Rookie hasn't learnt shiete." He took another drag.

Painwheel shook her head. "Fun…" And then she turned to him. "I think I remember once that my father said to me that smoking kills."

"Taking a fifty to your face also kills." Gabriel added. "That is, if you were a normal person."

"True… But still, not good for anyone."

"Well, you never know. Experts don't realise how these things can save a life too." Carol doubted it, but then was handed what was left of the pack. Two cigarettes left. "Well. New Meridian's on the horizon. Takes two to tango."

Carol sighed and accepted. "I'll keep it in mind."

"You know lass…"

"Hmm?"

"You ever wonder if there are other worlds out there? Like, how it could be so different to ours?" The existential question could dig very deep into shallow minds, piercing right through and leaving a crater on both ends. Carol hummed on the idea. "I mean, if you think about it, maybe in one world, you wouldn't have met me, or the others. Maybe in another, the whole fiasco of people like me, 'immortals', around."

"Hmm. I'm open to the idea." From what she has seen, it's entirely possible. "For better or for worse I guess. Maybe in another world, I could be the next Skullgirl." She tempted fate oh so dangerously. But still sounded ever so plausible…

"Perhaps we're lucky, or screwed to shiete for what we have." Gabriel understood how these people have changed upon joining the team. Some have changed drastically, others, to a minimal but still important degree nonetheless. From what Carol used to tell him, it wouldn't have been hard to imagine the powerful smile that would have resided on Medici's mouth.

Maybe in another world, she was still smiling, or perhaps in another, she had it worse. He had never met Medici personally, but the stories of her bubbly personality certainly reach around. "I'm still wondering if your friend would be smiling, working with a group like us. It's almost thankless, even when we take some hard hits."

Carol nodded and patted the feral's shoulder. "Don't get all sentimental on me, Colonel. You know I cry easy."

"Yeah yeah… But it's looking up to her. Perhaps we've set her right with a guide. It's up to her to work with it." And even with the Medici Mafia brought down to ashes, there's always a problem to stomp out.

A few minutes of driving down the road, they eventually found their way towards the Canopy Kingdom. A large welcome sign depicting the stereotypical Canopian family smiling as they were happily celebrating their Canopian freedom. A young boy with a bottle of soda, a blonde mother, brunette father, haloed by the sun shining behind them.

"I wonder how the Den is doing. Bastet's Den… Bought it from a company known as Ra. Apparently they're an investor of sorts." Though that company had went bankrupt not too long ago, hence the hasty sale.

Carol hummed. "I wonder what happened."

Few minutes had passed again, and they had converged with the outskirts of traffic, and boy, the difference was significant. There were handfuls of vehicles on the road, all busy to their destination, halting only at the crimson illumination of the traffic lights. Some lanes leading to specific roads were locked in a jam, cars moving in a slow line; most Canopian drivers just followed the path like sheep.

Painwheel thought about the sign, how it represented the kingdom. It wasn't there yet, but close… The Medici's gone was step one, step two would be ridding the kingdom of many of its problems. Carol's train of thought was interrupted when the car abruptly stopped, and she jerked forwards. Luckily the seatbelt she wore prevented her face from having an 'intimate' meeting with the glove compartment door. A van that had come from a street on their left turn attempted to rush through traffic.

"Blighter!" They were only lucky to have avoided a domino effect. "Bastirt almost screwed me car." The worst was yet to come, as the rushing van speeding by and caused other vehicles to crash into each other. Some flew and spun, wreaking havoc across the street. Traffic was going to be a problem, especially when the road they would take is blocked. "We'll have to take a detour… That blighter…"

* * *

The Friday morning was sunny as ever, and at the same time, a nuisance. The Doppelganger struggled to block out the morning spirit when the sunlight leaked through the cracks of the blinds, and went as far as to throw her whole blanket over her head. The chirping birds and the loud honk of boats and ships didn't help at all. Throwing the blanket over in defeat, she sighed and turned to her left, where Dima slept in his own single bed. Unlike the abruptly awoken Clone, Dimitri was still comfortably enjoying his dreams.

Not for long however… The room was small, but enough two fit two wooden single beds, a wardrobe to share between two, and a coffee drawer between their beds which also had a kettle. You know… For making instant ramen. The first thing most people would do when they wake, especially when they wore next to nothing in their sleep, is to find clothes. Instead she demonstrated one use that the kettle wasn't intended for: scorching your friend to wake them. With a fresh boiled pot, she poured a 'generous' amount of the insanely hot water over Dima's right arm which poked out of the bed.

Being a preternatural however has its perks… While he couldn't take the heat, waking him, Dimitri's arm suffered little ill effect as he simply rubbed his arm like someone gave him a light jab. "Hey, trying to sleep here!"

"Sorry but we got students to teach here. Get up and get ready." Blunt, but at least there was no dilly-dallying. To ride the point home, she tugged away at his covers. Like her, he slept with next to nothing on; wearing boxers alone would do that. Of course she had a very nice view of his small yet athletic body, more so than usual. A few packs, nothing to ride home about in terms of biceps, under a good layer of clothing, he always seemed scrawny.

Dimitri's natural blue tint around his hair didn't seem to be present around anywhere else, but the fur was to a minimum, as with most ferals. When DL had the two share the same room (and perhaps the smallest room of the warehouse), there was a time where the two weren't too comfortable sticking together. Now it was second nature…

"Sweet berries ready for two, ghosts are no different than you… Ghosts are now waiting for you…" Eliza recited from a song she had heard on the radio a few days back. The rest of the lyrics were turned into lyrical hums instead.

And still nothing was thrown on to cover themselves. Dima smiled at Eliza, but it was the friendly smile she has grown used to. She folded her arms under her chest, which Dima probably didn't try to ignore. The lace cupped them well, but they were very potent mounds of flesh that even Diana-Linda complimented. "I was having the best dream of all time Eliza. Remember that nurse chick down at the school?"

"Please, I rather not ask what this dream involves." Another thing she has grown apathetic to; his constant fantasies, which he eventually gets to act on. There will always be someone new every week or two, and she just takes time to leave Dimitri and his new 'friends' to converse… In their bedroom of course.

But Dimitri is at least considerate enough to make sure bedsheets were changed, carpets were cleaned and vacuumed, and most importantly that everything is in order. A few months of growing used to another's bad habits went a long way for the both of them, since Dima is always willing to put up with her bursts of anger to others. He was a bit of a chain, but she needed some restraint. Where everyone else sees Eliza, he and the others saw what's beneath the shell.

Not even a year old and yet the clone knows herself better than the real Eliza did. It was easy to tell since she was always blunt about things, whereas the 'Real' Eliza wasn't. Considering she fooled the world for centuries, that was to be expected.

Dimitri stood from his bed, and reached out to the wardrobe between them. Once opened, he picked out the usual outfit for the Doppelganger: her signature cap, one of her customised blazers, a short-sleeve blouse (in lieu of her usual t-shirt) and matching blue dress pants. Lots of blue, and these threads were sacred artefacts he refused to mishandle, less he enrage its owner.

A far cry from what the Crimson Scourge would wear on a daily basis. Such a flashy outfit would've caught the 'real' one's interest, but the extra bells and whistles have a bit of a rough vibe to it that lacks the elegant charm that her usual outfits would be, not that she needed to buy any.

For himself, he went for the casual teacher look: black denim jeans with leather shoes, a long-sleeve shirt and tie. He passed Eliza's pile of folded garments first before tending to his own. "So what, we're gonna walk in like yesterday didn't happen?"

"We'll be fine Dima." She assured with a nod as she threw on her formal shirt. "We can still find out what's going on. I've a feeling that Vice Principal Ariel is hiding a lot from us."

Dimitri shook his head. "Can't be too sure she wouldn't step up and just throw us out on the spot." He sighed. "We only got one shot at this Eliza. I know Ariel's a bit of a bitch, but we can't screw up right now."

Eliza hummed. "I guess I can let it slide for now."

"Maybe after all of this, you can really be a teacher." Dima nudged the Doppelganger, who sighed as she fitted her cap on and adjusted its angle on her head. "I see you with those kids. Not even a couple days and you're already showing off your shit."

The dark skinned amazon scoffed in retort, but the smile said otherwise. "Kids are annoying. But I like teaching about Nile's past."

Dima suspected that she only gave one half of the cake he wanted. He patted her back and leaned his head on her left arm as she pocketed her hands. "You remind me of my mother. Never tells the full story all the time." While the clone wasn't perfect, she clearly turned out better than one could've hoped when comparing her to the source.

Amidst all the clue searching and goose chases, and from way back into her early days of basic training, it felt like years. She wasn't exceptional, but never backed down, and never allowed herself to give up. It wasn't the training he had in the Academy, but being able to plow through the toughest of make shift drills, she would push her limits. Tsuyakimaru respected how she was a tank, a walking glacier.

DL chose her to be the main partner between the two, hell, DL appointed Albus and Horace as her underlings outside the partnership. The vixen saw a lot of potential, and the Doppelganger will have to reach deep to use it. The sparks she had shown was enough to interest the vixen, and he was starting to see it as well. Investigation skills however are a far cry to what the Reapers had, but the luck they had in finding the right clues meant that they needn't look far.

Last night turned out to be a relatively fruitful search: nothing spells 'idiot' more than leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. A few masked figures in fatigues had a meeting in the gym, or so it seems. The voices were altered, but he knew that whatever they discussed, ranging from such vocabulary as 'missing', 'gone' and 'kids' were all used in the same sentence. Eliza on the other hand found that the chalk markings were replaced with invisible ink.

A little bit of UV light came in handy. The symbols and strange markings however were missing despite being able to see the ink. It was rather the fact that the hieroglyphics were replaced with threats in English. Either someone knew they were nosing around, or it was to ward anyone off in general. Such fruitful phrases such as 'Get Out' or her personal favourite: 'Leave or die'.

Fully dressed and ready to go, Eliza checked one last thing before she left the room; she patted her blazer's inner pocket, and felt exactly five small cylindrical objects. "I'll be waiting in the car. Don't take too long."

"You know me." He assured, picking up an umbrella. Well… She did to some degree.

* * *

It hadn't lost its touch to say the least. The city had evolved ever so slightly, with technology advancing at a pace beyond normal. The scent of theonite had subsided as well, which was a change for the better, one Painwheel could do without. Passing through crowds, she didn't feel as though that she was getting unnecessary looks and stares of horror. The vibe was the same however: busy streets, with people not stopping worth a moment's notice.

But in the end, Carol felt uneasy about staying in the Kingdom again. But what bothered her wasn't the temped weather, or the busy streets and sidewalks, or that it is constantly a hotspot for the Skull Heart and Medici mafia; somewhere in this city were her parents. Her mother and father however believed their daughter had went missing, and worked hard to search for her. It was Painwheel who found them first, but with the mask on and the deformities…

A sad ending to a fairy tale. Then again, a lot of fairy tales had harsh origins. The mask was gone however, and her skin and body had improved for the better. Carol however did not want to meet them again, nor does she desire them to find her. It's easier that way.

The school ahead was reminiscent of her former high school and the UF Academy she and many students were moved to. There was a small market, many food stands were setup. According to those who passed by, they were commonly crowded by students during lunch times, and sometimes after school. Some stands ranged from fast food, 'gourmet' and foreign cuisine. A stand dedicated to cooking Imperial Dragonian foods happened to be a fan favourite, especially for their koroke's for a 'local celebrity'.

And if Filia's report meant anything, it could be Eliza. While she never fought the Crimson Scourge herself, Arthur Squad with assistance from Sienna and Filia at the time couldn't touch her when she was backed up by stygian.

Gabriel and she waited outside the school, Carol sat comfortably in the passenger seat whilst the feral Colonel stood out and leaned on the driver seat door. Nikki will be coming around with the FNG, Maud, and Reaper Rookie, Patrick. Patrick was a scaled feral, employed a few months ago for his expertise in biological research. That, and that he was a soldier.

Also to note, several 'inspectors' came by request of the Vice Principal of the school as stated by several students passing by. Painwheel also took note of how they didn't expect this. Her thoughts were interrupted when a car pulled in.

As the car stopped and the engine muffled before dying out by request, a feral demon huntress opened the driver door, whilst the front passenger door opened up to a shorter, scaled feral. Nikki stood nearly as tall as six feet. Gabriel however was enough to match her height. Even more perplexing was that the both of them sported athletic builds, Gabriel being relatively bigger than Nikki in terms of bulk.

From the passenger seat, emerged a red-headed young woman, clad in a long-sleeve t-shirt, with a pair of navy blue denim. To top it off were the trainers and gem encrusted belt supporting the denim across her thin waist. From the back seat, the left door opened, and out emerged a short scaled feral, frills atop his head and the spectacles he wore were the most noticeable thing about him. As most reptiles were, he was of green skin, smooth by the looks of it as well.

"And what time do you call this?" Gabriel asked, shaking his head, standing straight up as he waltzed towards the three. "Take your sweet arse time, you know that. Haven't changed a bit."

Nikki smiled. "Of course not."

Both seniors turned to the passengers. "So, you two must be fresh black puddin'?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" The red headed woman snapped. Pretty as she was, Carol could already tell she had a mouth of platinum…

'Platinum bullshiete that is.' "Colonel Magilligan, call me Frost. Gabriel if you will." He folded his arms, bowing in respect. Maud, seeing the gesture, responded with her Tiber bow, with left fist in her right palm. "Well. You must be Patrick."

The smooth scaled reptile chuckled, grinning widely, but it lacked a hint of malicious intent. It was a friendly grin, despite its smug appearance. "Yes sir! I've heard a lot about your work sir, I won't let you or Nikki down." A bit of a squeaky voice to match his size too.

Frost turned back to his apprentice, urging her over with a light nod. "This is Carol. Been under my wings for a few months now." When she stood by his side, the difference in height was night and day. While she had grown, she only stood at five foot three, an insignificant difference from five foot one.

Both the 'FNG' and the 'Rookie' raised a brow at the sight of the short, scarred Junior. Rihfort in particular looked up and down at her, noticing that she wore long-sleeves and dress pants. From the looks of the scars and veins around her face and neck, there were more under those garments. "I have to work with this freak?"

At first, she took a breath and opened her mouth to say something. Her role was abruptly taken by Gabriel: "Oi! I take offence to that. We're ALL freaks." That left a smile on her face. "But yes, you will be working with this lil' prat 'ere." He said as he ruffled Carol's hair.

"Ugh, this is bullshit…" Folding her arms, she produced her vape and took a few drags. As she took deep breaths and plastered the taste of mixed fruits on to her tongue, she looked dead into those glowing red eyes. Carol stared back, and most likely right back at Maud's own eyes. Rihfort found herself gazing into a new world as she could see all the rough roads and broken bridges. Wherever Carol was heading, she had a hard time with her journey.

The vape was stored behind a coat, and Maud found herself at ease in regards to the proposition. "A saying goes from my former Sensei: 'A rocky road is hard to cross with bare feet. But once you find back to flat ground, you'll appreciate its offers for a smooth walk, even with bloodied feet'." That same saying was one that she hated hearing, but… It was true. "Like a carpenter who knows nothing about perfection, and is outclassed by one who was perfect. And yet when the perfect carpenter fails, he believes all is lost, whilst the carpenter with no sense of perfection will only improve their craft."

At first, the former Anti-Skullgirl raised a brow, but then that brow lowered back down as she hummed at the sayings. Both parties nodded silently, neither smiling, but they were on the same page.

For the short scaled feral however… "She's pretty." Of course, probably not the best thing to blurt out when you first meet someone.

"I'm working with this guy?" Carol asked, her face flushing red and right hand pointing at the short rookie who was covering his mouth at his mistake. The red head nodded for the Seniors… No doubt he had 'accidentally' complimented her too. She shook her head. "Well, let's move on. What about you Gabe?"

"Nikki and I will pop around the marketplace just nearby. Something goes wrong, don't hesitate to call in." Then the two left the three Juniors to their task as they went about their own.

"I just hope nothing goes wrong…" Carol wished, but part of her felt she had just jinxed it. "I probably shouldn't have said anything." As she led the other two towards the main reception of the school, she couldn't help notice a black van in the parking area. It was familiar, but why?

Thoughts aside, the three entered the reception lobby, and approached the counter where a young woman in the typical formal blazer, shirt, tie and skirt, awaited. "Good afternoon, welcome to Victory Academy. How can I help?"

"Carol Painwheel, United Forces." The former Anti-Skullgirl produced her wallet, and revealed her badge. It was a trident crossing over with an open umbrella, with a rook chess piece and dragon emblem printed on the right and left side of the crossed trident/umbrella. A combo of the respective nations of the world; her United Forces badge. "We've heard of a sort of commotion happening at this school. We'd like to speak with the Principal in that regard."

The receptionist shook her head. "Unfortunately the Principal has been ill for the past few days. I can arrange for the Vice Principal to attend to you."

Painwheel nodded. "When did the Principal report in sick? If it's okay to ask, that is."

"Five days ago. A day before the festival." She pointed at the comfy chairs which rested besides several shelves and glass displays of photos and model scales of ships, cars and framed photos. "Please, have a seat whilst I try to reach Vice Principal for you." She stood from her seat and rushed out of the lobby.

Patrick decided to take the offer for a seat, though his short height meant he had to properly adjust himself to the large mammoth of a chair. It met its expectations in looking comfy by being as such, soft, fluffy and enough to sleep in if he wanted to. "Little excited if I'm honest."

Painwheel scoffed as she examined the different scale models and framed photos. "Excited about what? We're just gonna have a quick look around."

"It's my first 'real' job since I've joined. Most of what I've been doing was running errands and assisting the Reaper scientist, Moka. I think that was her name."

The name sparked some life into the conversation when she turned to the scaled feral. "Moka you say?"

"Yeah. She does most of everything though."  
Painwheel full well why she did almost everything in her lab alone. It reminded her of Avian, at least the few days she had the chance to know him. "Well, a little field work should be good for you then." More scale models and photos, none of which she recognised.

Maud scoffed as she stood by the scarred Junior. "You call 'this' fieldwork? Get real." She rolled her eyes, but she curved her mouth ever so slightly when she looked at Painwheel once more. The offer for a seat was taken, and she shrugged as she rested herself. "I mean, it's not like some asshole is gonna come in guns blazing on us, hmm?"

The short rookie turned to Maud: "Are you really going to jinx us right now?"

Paying no attention to her comrades, she then noticed one specific picture. The frame was dark, wood, possibly oak, and larger than all the other frames. It had a picture of a youthful woman, the usual school photo of a staff member to display. Her face lacked a blemish of any sort, short ginger hair down to her chin. While she was smiling in picture, there was an unnerving feel to it. Just looking at the smile was chilling…

For one thing, this woman looked familiar. A former teacher of her former high school? A teacher from the academy? The gold plated plaque that said 'Principal' made it very clear who she was to the school. Ginger hair? Sick for five days, before the festival? There was no name, but a signature on the top right corner spelled ' '.

Tilting her head to the right side, then to the left. Not much else to say except that she still looked oddly familiar. "A…? I wonder what that stands for." Thoughts interrupted again… It wasn't Gabriel however that would grab her attention. The young receptionist arrived again, this time with another formally dressed woman. Glasses, formal blazer, shirt, tie and skirt, thigh highs, she stood taller than the receptionist. Behind those spectacles were navy blue eyes, her face lacked any sort of blemish, almost unnaturally!

Unlike the Principal in the framed photograph, her hair was silver, and there was an emphasis of makeup around her eyes and lips. Such eye candy would woo just about anyone, herself included. It was a light layer, so she didn't even need any makeup to begin with. There had to be a reason for the extra frosting over an already sweet cake.

"Good afternoon. Carol, I presume?" Her voice boomed with enough authority to tame a drill Sargent. Alas, she smiled, but the smile felt cold to the eyes. She offered a handshake, and didn't notice the scars, or had noticed but oddly didn't have a care in the world about them. The cold smile starkly contrasted the grinding smile of the Principal, for better or worse…

Painwheel accepted the handshake. "It's nice to meet you. Though I've heard that the Principal was sick." She turned to the framed photograph. "This is she, right?"

"Ah yes…" She nodded, her smile fading, but there was a hint of a frown as she turned away for a moment before returning her gaze to the photograph. "My sister, Anya Ariel. We formed this establishment to better New Meridian. It started small but eventually we grew." Again, a solemn turn away from the photo. The name Anya was familiar too… "But let's get down to business, shall we? Can I get you and your colleagues anything?"

Maud and Patrick shook their heads. "Can't we just start looking around the school? We're here to have a better understanding of what had been happening." Maud demanded. "We don't have all day."

"Indeed. But please, mind the classes and children." She turned her back, but urged the three with a wave to follow. The Receptionist returned to her post.

* * *

Today would've gone swimmingly like others… But a stroke of bad luck had hit Dima and Eliza, particularly Dimitri. Despite his heavy eating, his body was crashing from the lack of blood consumption. None of the food they've eaten in the past few days was of meat that cooked to rare, so he was thinning himself out. The good thing was that he fainted, instead of lost his cool and possibly hurt the students or staff for the trouble.

Having heard of the commotion herself, she left her class to a group based assignment to role explore different scenarios in regards to historical Nilian events. It should keep them occupied for the moment; she had to check on her partner. Should the 'Inspectors' see that her class is missing a teacher, there will be trouble for sure. Of course, no one was told they would be arriving, so they probably have other reasons to be at the school

The school nurse was tending to one of the students, one of the junior years. Aside from the usual uniform, she was dark skinned with short blonde hair, and she cradled her stomach. A bad case of food poisoning? Upon seeing the celebrity teacher, she waved with a smile. "Come to see Dimitri? He's out back."

Eliza nodded. "Thank you. How is he doing?"

"Well, if his medical records are correct, it's the anaemia, but it's nothing serious. We'll let him rest for now."

The Doppelganger nodded and continued towards the back of the ward. The usual assortment of do-hickeys and gadgets that a nurse would need, from the simple thermometer, the boxes of bandages and other wound dressings, and first aid boxes. Out of the ordinary was a fountain pen, perhaps the nurse was a pen enthusiast?

The sight of the tired hybrid feral was one to behold. She couldn't help but smile… Dima was practically a helpless baby at this point. "Told you to take your medicine Dimitri."

"Yeah, haha…" He said dryly. "I was a practical joke in front of those kids."

Eliza smiled. "You're one to me." Sending a glance back to the nurse, she was still busy tending to the student, taking her temperature with the thermometer whilst preparing some antibiotics to help with the stomach ache. With her right arm, she pulled the sleeve with her left and brought the arm to Dimitri. "Do it quickly before she notices."

"It's not even our first date, and already I get to taste you." He joked. His foul mouth was silenced when she forced her arm against his mouth. The sharp fangs elongated on their own accord, and went to work as he took generous sips…

"Greedy…" She murmured, exhaling at the tingling feeling. A vampire's venom was an aphrodisiac, Dima was no exception despite being only half cast. His venom could bring the most resistant to their knees. She could barely hold her standing as she was! In a split second, she pulled back on the instant. "And by the way, this is the second time I'd bailing you out of a problem."

Wiping his mouth, the feral nodded. "I owe you then."

She smiled. Luckily she didn't leave a huge gash pulling back. "You know you're a bit of a baby. You need others to feed you."

"Well, thanks, 'mom'." He smiled. "Rich tasting, if I may admit." Like a juicy rare steak cooked to perfection. Richer than most, even powerful preternaturals had average tasting blood at best. Or perhaps living on a diet of expired blood packs had lowered his standards for the while and Eliza's warm blood was refreshing for being out of the ordinary. There was a fair amount of muscle to get his fangs through, but they pierced.

"Is everything okay here?" The nurse asked as she returned with a new thermometer on hand.

Eliza nodded. "He's holding out. He should be fine. I'll take him home later."

The nurse raised a brow. "Home? You two live together?"

"Interesting story behind that." She adjusted her cap. "We've been together for nearly a year." A half-truth, but one she's willing to use. But Dima was part feral cat, and 'the real' Eliza's Nilian heritage had a lot of respect for cats, in regards to an ancient religion. It only made sense that a Nilian would go for a feline.

The nurse smirked. "I'm envious." When Eliza cleared her throat, the nurse closed her mouth with an imaginary zipper, and padlocked it, and threw the key away.

"He's a bit of a slob when it comes to eating." Although, that could imply 'other' aspects. "And is terribly childish."

"I take offence to that!" Dimitri interrupted, but hushed himself as he relaxed in the bed.

Eliza shook her head. "I'll be heading to class. Please take care of him until I get back." An act had to be convincing. Leaning over, she pressed her forehead against his, eyes closed solemnly. "You had me worked up dear."

Dima didn't know whether he should be flattered, or concerned that this act came out of nowhere. But for someone he knew for less than a year, there was genuine concern in that tone of voice. "I'm alright. You should get back to class. Wouldn't wanna disappoint those 'inspectors', huh?"

"Probably not." There was a pause, then suddenly, Eliza uncharacteristically kissed Dimitri on the cheek. Even though he had little to drink, he felt far more aware from that alone. It was an act right? But… Why did it feel heavy on him?

She adjusted her cap again as she proceeded to the door, eyes to the ground. Why the hell did she do that? Wasn't pressing her forehead against his enough!? That came out of nowhere… Didn't it? Thoughts were blank for the moment, but she continued on. Her senses flared as she closed in towards the door, and in an instant, she halted.

Looking forwards again, she was confronted by several men and women in identical looking suits. The inspectors? Strange to see ones without a notepad in hand, and wearing sunglasses indoors. "Hello. Is there a problem?"

The suits didn't respond, all of them stared through their sunglasses. There was minor chatter from the hallway, but not from any of the suited men or women.

"Seriously, all that's here is a bunch of idiot kids." A rough female voice shouted.

"Maud, that's quite enough…" Another, lighter toned female voice sighed. "Sorry Ms Ariel… Please continue." Someone was on tour… Maud?

The tourists were brought just outside the nurse's quarters, whilst the suits stood aside to allow the Vice Principal through. Two women, brunette and short, the other was red dyed and fairly petite. With them, a young scaled lad with frills. The brunette had a sort of scar in the form of an 'X', but seeing Eliza, her mouth gaped.

"Eliza…?" Then she looked towards the back of the room. A face she had seen before, but where…?

"Do I know you?" She asked, raising a brow and adjusting her cap again.

The Vice Principal stepped in. "And now that we have everyone here… Eliza, this is Carol Painwheel. Painwheel… This is Eliza…"

The Doppelganger saw the gaped expression turn to a conserved straight mouth. Then it hit her: Painwheel was one of the former Anti-Skullgirls, and one of the Reaper members that DL had notified her about. Eliza was being mistaken for 'her'… "Does this have to do with the strange events happening, Vice Principal?"

"Yes. And unfortunately I'm disappointed." Then the suits converged behind her, and all of them produced small sticks from inner pockets. All of them whacked it out to extend it to their true forms. They were wielded expandable batons, and each of them glowed an ominous white. "See, I don't like it when people stick their nose into other people's businesses, especially mine."

Despite the fact they were careful in their nightly visits, perhaps being around and finding clues gave them away. She should've been more careful, or more importantly, she shouldn't of had responded to her insult yesterday. The ill student and the nurse stood and lied in place, confused as to the situation.

Painwheel turned back with her two colleagues, all three of them stepping back as they were threatened by the baton wielding suits. The Vice Principal smiled. "Sic 'em…"

There were seven suited men and women; they charged at the four. The three tourists stood ready, but in a sudden second, they were interrupted when one of them was knocked down! Carol turned to Eliza, who had a small stream of blood forming a fist, but its crimson glowed a bright blonde colour.

"No way!" That gold glow, the sparks of yellow lightning! Her controlled breathing! "That's Ripple!" Maud exclaimed.

Upon closer inspection, there was no open end to her body, nothing compromised or revealed like the reports said. When Sekhmet used blood she changed her form, but this one didn't. What she did notice that Eliza held a small test tube in her left hand. Ripple infused blood? Definitely not what the reports said.

"Normally I don't like fighting in front of innocent bystanders. But you've left me without a choice. I knew there was something about you." Eliza tightened her left fist, and her blood formed golden fist also tightened, ready to strike. The downed suit recovered from the harsh blow, patting his chest before resuming in his task.

Patrick found himself the first target, but being much shorter, found it easy to slide right under his attackers before jumping and kicking one of the suits in the back, stumbling him towards Carol. Painwheel grabbed this 'suit' by his collar, lifting with her left hand from the ground, before slamming him on the floor effortlessly. Two more rushed at her, both swinging at her, but she ducked in time to avoid the batons.

Instinctively she reached for her back, but she forgot one thing when she noticed she didn't feel anything: her cello case. She left it in Gabriel's car, and now she had no time to retrieve it. Would've been useful to use her Buer Drive or even her Hacksaw. Rolling to her right to where the downed suit was, she picked up his baton. The weapon still glowed white in hand, and it felt heavy despite it looking thin and fragile as others.

It was evident it wasn't any normal baton as she blocked the two attackers, who brought Carol to her knees with extreme amounts of force. Patrick jumped on the back of one of her attacks, whilst the other's attention turned to the frilled lizard's attempt to subdue them. The suit that was held couldn't shake the reptile off, whilst the other avoided swinging relentlessly to avoid harming her team mate. Looking away from her former target spelled doom as Painwheel whacked her on the head with enough force to smash a normal person's in.

Maud was rushed by two suits, and they fought right beside the nurse and her ill student. "Don't just sit here, get out!" Without another word, the school nurse helped the student up and the student, supported by the caring woman, limped to the back of the room.

Rihfort avoided another attack before reaching out to a counter besides her. First thing she took hold of: a thermometer. Sidestepping one attack, she fitted the measuring device into the attacker's mouth before giving him an infused uppercut, breaking both teeth and thermometer.

The other attacker was distracted by his fallen comrade, and Maud took a moment to take a deep breath. Her body glowed a bright gold, before she spun, counter-clockwise, and smacked her charged fist into her remaining assailant. The immense blast sent him across the room, crashing hard against the wall… As the dust cleared, she took one deep breath and exhaled…

As for Eliza, she handled the last two remaining attackers, using her ripple infused blood to send wave after wave of punches! Carol couldn't even keep pace at the rate that single streamed fist could do, but the remaining suits were bruised and broken. All of that destruction, and she didn't lay a single finger from either of her hands.

Battered and defeated, the fighters allowed the downed suits to crawl and limp away from the fight. Vice Principal Ariel was left, but she had other plans instead of running away. Ariel stood her ground as she hid herself behind the ill student, whilst the nurse had already been hurt in the process of protecting the young girl. "Enough."

The three Reapers and their newfound ally stopped. "Shit…" Carol murmured.

"Not again…" Maud shook her head. "Oh man…"

"You have several choices. Surrender now, and the girl lives."

The Doppelganger grunted. "Hurting one of your own students, what kind of Teacher are you?" Even 'bad influences' have standards.

The Vice Principal smirked. "Perhaps you would like to know what happened to all those missing students." Ariel's opponent froze in place, her eyes widening, fist tightening and her glow blinding. "Aren't you curious to know, Eliza?" She mocked, holding the chin of the young girl, who whimpered, her weak body unable to struggle.

"Let her go Ariel. You wouldn't like what happens if she's hurt!" Carol threatened.

"Well… As you wish." Her impish smile carved itself beyond the point of humanity, as she pushed the student towards Eliza. In one fell swoop, she swung her arm in an upwards chop, sending a cutting vortex at the two. Maud and Carol both called out, but they couldn't reach them in time as the capped fighter shielded the girl with her own body.

The strike connected with devastating results, the whole room was clouded with dust! The open and smashed windows however allowed the dust to clear. Whilst Eliza took a heavy blow, a cut across her chest bled but wasn't deep; she wasn't the one who was directly hit. It was the albino feral! "Dima!"

With an open Umbrella in hand, he was barely able to ward off the strike. His aura was able to enforce his personal shield, but with the little blood he had to run... At least the student wasn't hurt. He couldn't hold up his umbrella as he stumbled and fell to his knees.

"Dima…?" Carol repeated as the dust cleared around her. Taking a good look at the hurt feral, she saw the resemblance he had to Romeo… The looks were near exact, barring the minor sky blue tint to his hair. He was indeed, Romeo's son. Alive and well. No, it was a coincidence, this couldn't be the same Dima. Dahlia killed him! Filia even saw Kazuo's memory, even Reala saw it! How could it be…?

But his stare towards her, and her comrades… They were Reapers, and he grunted and frowned at the fact of his own reveal. But that wasn't important right now. The Vice Principal had nearly killed one of her own students.

The Doppelganger tightened her fist, and it shook violently as it was engulfed in a gold aura. "How dare you..." Eliza growled as she stood up, despite the large cut across her chest.

"Are you seriously going to stand up again?" The 'Angel' scoffed as she prepared herself once more. "I'll just knock you down again. You're nothing but a simple sandbag, and I am the truck that's going to trample over it." She smiled. "Since the day I saw you step into our school, I knew you only came to meddle with things. But you stayed, and continued your meddling." From her back, sprouted large white feathered wings…

It was starting to make sense why Eliza was here, at least this 'Eliza'. Whoever this 'Eliza' was, she wasn't the same one Filia had encountered before. Maud was practically in shock, whilst Pat was still dizzied from that last attack. And then it made sense: that power, those wings, her sister Anya… The Vice Principal was an Angel herself.

"Well. I think it's time I finish up here. All of you look worse for wear." While only Eliza and Dima were the ones who took most of the damage, the blast itself was disorienting, and Rihfort was trembling at the sight of the rogue Guardian.

Eliza sighed. "Look... Since I've come to be, I've gained a bit of a reputation for being a 'bitch'. No one ever calls me a nice girl." She shook her head. "I beat the shit outta people to high hell, some are still bed ridden in hospital. When some guy or girl thinks they have authority over me simply because of their status, I take them down several notches. Hell, I don't even pay for crappy overpriced food... I'm not even 'that' Eliza." The dark skinned Canopian grit her teeth as her fist shook violently, with a visible vein popping out from her wrist. "But how dare you bring an innocent little girl into this!"

The Angel scoffed. "Collateral damage. One life, tragic as it is, my reasons justify the means. You've only brought it upon her." She turned to Carol. "And you 'Reapers'… My sister. My sister was everything to me!"

Hearing that the Vice Principal declare harm to the student 'collateral' was enough to revive her. The pain was gone, but the anger: "Even I can tell what's true evil! The evil of those who use the innocent for their own gain and then smash them aside when they're done! But no, when you're done here you'd easily walk free. No one could catch an Angel, especially one who is protected by a system... If one life is worth throwing away, then how many more will die after!?" Readjusting her cap, she cracked her knuckles before swiping her hand across her cap. "Therefore! I will judge you!"

"Really now? Well then." Bringing her hand up, her palm enclosed itself to a fist, her aura reformed into several floating translucent daggers. "Like it? Entirely pedestrian for the likes of me, but for you, not so much."

The Doppelganger calmly reached into her blazer's inner pocket, and produced a small cylindrical object, one that sported a mostly gold tint, with the top entirely dark grey of sorts. Ariel raised her arm, as if she were commanding an army of archers, but Eliza only twitched her glowing hand… A crash of thunder boomed from her fist, as a trail of her golden aura flew and struck at the Vice Principal! The force was enough to smash her against the wall!

"Nghh! What was…!"

"A little gift of a friend. Three hundred and five grain, sixteen hundred feet per second, and seventeen hundred foot pounds of energy… The .440 Corbon round." She took a deep breath, and exhaled as she produced two more from her pocket, and her fist illuminated a blonde glow. "My name is Eliza. And I'll show you what happens when you piss me off!" Raising her hand, the powerful Ripple forcefully overpowered the bullets to fire.

Quick on her feet, the Vice Principal used her spirit daggers to block the oncoming projectiles! The force stumbled her and she was left wide open. Eliza closed the distance, two more bullets in hand. Rather than aim then like before, she raised her fist, and smashed it against the blocking daggers!

Maud could tell what she had in mind. A technique of combining forces, one she learned herself. A minor shield to protect her hand from damage as the bullets unleash their force only serves to enhance her own punch! A focused attack to pierce through Ariel's tough defence! Indeed, that punch smashed through. "She's open!"

Barely avoiding the blow herself, Ariel was left wide eyed, gaped mouth and with bleeding hands. "How!?" The simple response? The dark skinned Canopian tugged at her tie and reeled her in, and Ariel found herself in an intimate position with Eliza's elbow. The blow itself was beyond the typical mortal, and Ariel can attest to that herself.

She was able to break away from the capped teacher, and threw a brutal hook to her cheek, and then an uppercut to her abdomen. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, as Eliza reeled her in once more. The Vice Principal smashed her forehead against the false teacher, before pushing her to the wall behind her. "You…" She could taste her own blood… A mortal no less did this to her! "How shameful… But now your time's up!" As she stepped forwards, one of the beds was thrown between her and the downed Canopian!

Maud had bought some time for Eliza, as the bed was teeming with her own ripple energy! An impenetrable barrier! "Eliza! Do it!"

Smashing the bed against Ariel with her streamed fist, she pinned Ariel against the wall! It didn't hold her for long however as she smashed it away (naturally, she is strong after all). Of course, she didn't have the chance to retaliate as she was reeled in by her tie (again…), and this time, Eliza's fist had made their impression on the Vice Principal's face. Dazed and confused, Ariel couldn't stand straight at all, and her vision blurred and reddened by her bleeding forehead.

Without a second to think, the Doppelganger smashed her right fist into her left palm, and took one deep breath. "APOPHIS!" With her crimson fist, it threw a volley of punches in rapid speed, all the while with the capped Canopian yelled her kiai! And with one final push… Eliza delivered the finishing blow with her own bleeding knuckles.

"My judgement… You should spend eternity in Osiris' realm. But smashing in your face is good enough…" She did make good on that promise. Her body felt numb from all that fighting, and she couldn't stand straight either. As she stumbled forwards, she was supported by the red-headed Reaper who saved her in the last minute. "Mmmphmm…"

Despite her size, the red-head was easily able to support her weight, though the height was the main issue. Still, that must've taken a lot out of her, especially with the bleeding cuts she has right now. Nothing serious at close glance… "Hey, lover boy! Gonna help me out or what!"

The albino nodded as he stood up from the still unconscious student. "She's hurt real bad. We need to get outta here too."

Painwheel, finally shaking off her disoriented vision and feel, nodded as she took Ariel's left arm. "Pat, gimme a hand."

The short scaled feral nodded as he helped place the out cold Angel on Carol's back. "Talk about a busy day…" He said as he picked up one of the first aid kits from the counter.

Dima knew that the only help they can get was from the Reapers. There wasn't a choice here… DL would understand.

* * *

The commotion was enough to attract Gabriel and Nikki's attention from the main market. Loud, explosive crashes from the school. Somehow, Gabriel felt that leaving them behind was all it takes to cause trouble. Emerging from the front doors, indeed, was Carol and the other two, with two injured and one helping them carry said injured. Upon closer inspection, Nikki and Gabriel stopped in their tracks as they saw a face of a ghost.

That ghost stared right back, both parties became awkwardly silent. Then one of the injured party members caught Nikki's eye. She resembled the woman she had shot in the head near a year ago, but she felt… Different. This wasn't the same woman she blasted at all…

"Bloody hell, shiete went bad." Gabriel noted, and seeing the other injured party, he shook his head. "That's bloody Ariel!"

"Another conference member…?" Nikki shook her head in disbelief. "What happened!?"

"This woman… She used fuckin' Ripple!" She pointed to the said woman, the one she helped away from the school. She must've lost some blood whilst they traversed the school.

Nikki nodded as she urged the team over, rushing to her own car. The familiar albino feline brought the 'lookalike' to Nikki's car, with Maud helping her from her left and himself on her right. She was bloodied, no doubt she was in that last fight. Eliza would've healed by now, but this woman that was rested into the backseat was barely able to stay awake.

Patrick offered the first aid kit he procured, and Nikki immediately checked its contents. All the typical things, but no alcohol… "Lie her back! Maud, open the trunk, it's got all sorts of booze!"

"What the fuck are we gonna do with booze!?"

"Don't ask, just do it!" Nikki demanded as she threw the keys at the red head. Turning to the feline feral, she snapped her fingers. "Dima! Her name! What's her name!?"

Dimitri shook his head out of his trance. "E-Eliza. That's all we call her."

"Shit…" She shook her head. "Hey! Hey kiddo! This is gonna sting a bit!" Seeing that the first bottle Maud brought to hand was vodka, she snatched the bottle before hurryingly opening the bottle cap. Rihfort helped open the ebony broad's shirt, and Nikki followed up by dousing her entire torso with the bottle. Eliza squirmed, holding tightly to the car seat as she could barely hold back from the excessive sting.

Taking a sip from the bottle, she passed it back to Rihfort before taking the kit to hand. Gabriel returned from his car to assist. "She's taken some pretty bad hits." Pulling up her coat's sleeves to her elbow, she squeezed her fists to conjure some of her red electric essence. She palmed Eliza's injured body, but it left her patient sighing in relief. "We need to get her to HQ." Pulling back, she returned to her driver seat.

Dima took the back as he raised Eliza before resting her head on his lap. "It's gonna be alright 'Liza…" She was strong, but whatever that vile Vice Principle did, it really left an impression on her. "Is she gonna be alright?"

"Yeah, but something's screwing with her essence." She urged Maud in the car.

As for Ariel, Carol and Pat, Gabriel had a nice comfy seat in the trunk. The feral half-breed helped the unconscious Ariel into her wonderful place, whilst Carol and Pat hurried into their seats. "Let's bugger out!" He said as he ran to the driver's seat. Once both their engines roared, the teams screeched away before they outstayed their welcome any longer.

Sirens from a distance could be heard… They were lucky to have escaped in time.

* * *

"Power… Give me more power… This is not enough… I demand more… MORE!"

"And more you shall have…"

"I will not stop… Power is all I need, I need it… I need it to beat 'them'…"

"Then do you understand what needs to be done? Make a wish… Sekhmet…"

"I wish… I wish for… 'Heh'…"

* * *

The darkness was vanquished when Eliza woke abruptly, sitting up from where she rested, sweat running down her cheek and breathing out of control… Taking a quick look around, she noticed how bright the room was, and how she was in an adjustable bed. To her left was an IV drip, filled with clear liquid. Perhaps they were painkillers. Then there were all the other nooks and crannies that she had very little clue about. Her breathing calmed and her mind eased itself.

A hospital? Everything around her seemed to point that way. That last attack must've did a number to her… Where was Dima? What happened right after she smashed Ariel's face in?

Her train of thought was halted when the door ahead of her creaked open. Clad in a red trench coat, reaching down to his knees. A striped red and black jester hat was placed atop his head, his skin almost a pale grey with black scar-like tattoos were marked across both eyes vertically. Sky blue pupils… Almost mesmerising. Behind him was Dimitri, eyes towards the ground, hands in pocket as he followed tall, bulky 'man'.

His steps, whilst not unlike any other normal person, the sound of their clack against the ground sent shivers down her spine. There was a sense of dread just by looking at him, as if the world around her darkened to his entrance. His stern stare didn't help either as he closed the distance. He stopped just to her left side, and inspected the doppelganger. From head to toe, he stared, before taking a look right into her eyes…

It felt as though someone was looking directly into her soul… That is… If she had a soul to begin with. If she did, then that was the best explanation. Constant tingling feelings right up her spine, the feeling of imminent danger and dread, and the unsettling blue eyes. It broke all broke down in one instant, when his stern face was replaced with an impish, but warm smirk.

"So… Eliza, is it? Or is that what you like to call yourself?" He asked as he folded his arms. He didn't expect an answer however, judging by his playful smile. "New life created from essence… Almost unheard of, or widely detested that it could happen."

She said nothing, as Dima took a seat right side of her bed. "You okay?" Dima asked, palming her right hand with his own. The Doppelganger nodded silently. Their cover was blown, and no doubt DL would be coming around soon. Diana-Linda only ever talked about the Commander, unlike the other Reaper members since they had their data logged. No doubt that this was said Commander, his stance practically speaks volumes of his role.

"So, let's avoid the formalities. My name is Reala… I assume you have an idea of who I am, hmm?" The question was rhetorical of course: "And you… You are perhaps the first essence based clone I've ever met." On point already.

Dima nodded. "He's a nightmaren; they used to be dream based entities." As the story goes, their world crumbled and brought them here… Well… The few that are known to exist at least. "It's a really long story."

"I'd be happy to tell you about it another time too." Reala assured. "But right now, I need to speak to you… And my daughter once she arrives."

Daughter? He didn't mean… That brought up more questions than answers. DL never explained that her father was the same man she never spoke about in detail. At least it answers one question. Still, she had a reason to hide it from him, perhaps she didn't want her activities hindered by some of the politics behind what the Reapers handle. Being partners with the likes of the Egrets and other forms of local enforcement meant that had to play by certain rules.

At least, that's what she assumed. If anything, DL only made what they were doing seem important. Eliza only followed because she hadn't another place to go.

"She tells me she goes on vacation, instead, she does my job… Not bad. Though…" He turned to Dima. "Not entirely happy she kept you a bit of a secret." It wasn't the kind of 'you disappointed me' kind of unhappiness: his tone was very stern, and he gave it a lot of thought to understate his feelings. The hint of anger in that voice sold it effectively, and she was caught in the middle of it all.

Dima nodded shamefully. The albino feral probably had a harsh talking to earlier before they entered. As a soldier, he knew full well why he was reprimanded, more or less he stayed silent and turned away. Reala shook his head, full of solemn melancholy, but said nothing more to press on the issue. Without a word, he urged the albino feral to give himself and the clone a moment. Not another word and he stood. "Good luck." And he was out the room.

"Well… Drama aside…" Taking the same seat that Dima stood from, he relaxed himself. A sigh of relief as he rested his back on the chair. "There we go. Tell you one thing, walking around the whole damn place really gets to your feet." Releasing the tension from his legs by stretching them, he sighed once more. After a pause, he cleared his throat. "Now then… According to Carol's last debrief, you were able to take on Charmeine Ariel on your own. If you were the 'real' Eliza, I would expect that." But it was clear, she was not.

Eliza never got Ariel's first name, only the initial, which was of course 'C'. Very few would know that as well, since her framed photo had an annoyingly complex signature font. Anything that the Vice Principle wrote, while looking absolutely fabulous, can leave many confused due to the way she conjures her E's and C's. Reala must've delved into some archived documents the Egrets had to solve the problem altogether.

It was surprising that Charmeine was a Guardian in the first place, but if she was Anya Ariel's sister, it made sense. Anya was implicated at the crime at the casino several days ago. But then it hit her: She took on Charmaine, for the most part, alone! But that fiery redhead was her saving grace, having thrown a bed between her and the rogue Guardian. The frame was infused with a short burst of powerful Ripple, something she didn't expect to see under anyone else's hand. She'll have to buy that woman a drink one day…

"Interesting application with your blood there." Producing a small test tube from his coat pocket, it happened to be her own. It was emptied out because she didn't store it after that last fight. "You refill this thing yourself?"

Not wanting to be rude, she nodded: "Yes."

"So… From what I've been told, you've never had any formal training with Ripple, no?" When she shook her head, he nodded. It was clear how she only had the fundamentals to work with, but she compensated with this interesting technique. "I see. According to Maud, while you didn't have any advanced techniques, you still took advantage of opportunities. That is without a doubt, very impressive." This Eliza could think on her feet, hence how she won.

But strength alone isn't what he found alluring; if he was looking for strength he could find countless fighters in No-Man's Land. "You stepped in knowing full well you could've got yourself killed when that student was endangered."

The dark skinned amazon nodded without hesitation. "She was in the crossfire, she wasn't involved in any of it. But to see her nearly take a direct hit…" Even if her short lived career as a teacher wasn't meant to be real, she had a responsibility as a teacher to care for the students. "Ariel betrayed an oath as a teacher…"

"You don't take such a betrayal lightly, hmm?"

"It's like backstabbing everything you agreed to." There was a stern sense of honesty that Reala could both see and feel from her. Such a belief only meant she was loyal to her word.

Reala smiled. "You stand pretty proud. A far cry from what Sekhmet is." He stood from his seat. "I have high hopes for you, it'd be a waste to send you away, not after all that effort." Since DL was helping the Reapers in the background, Eliza hadn't a reason to distrust him. "For now, you should rest. I shall have a word with my daughter, and we'll see where this goes." Just before he reached out for the door handle, he glanced back once more with a warm smile.

There were a lot of questions on her mind. Perhaps there won't be any point to dwell on them. As Reala left, Dima re-entered, retaking his old seat. "Got a bit of a rough talking to?"

"Rough is an understatement. But I didn't exactly expect it to be sunshine and rainbows if they ever saw me." He shook his head, leaning his chin on his fists. "Can't live it down, but I'll live at least." That's good enough for him. Even when life goes down in the dumps, he won't let it hold it down. She knows that herself.

Sitting up, she reached out to him, a hand to his shoulder, and a friendly squeeze. "Don't get all sentimental on me yet. We just survived a run-in with someone way above our league."

Dimitri nodded. "I was worried about you throughout it." There was a pause. A pause that took a moment too long to break. "You're my friend and partner, that's why." Somehow she felt he had to think of that response. Sure, they look out for each other, but the way he answered, felt different to how a friend would respond.

"Dima, are you feeling alright?"

"Y-yeah. I'm alright."

A stammer. He was hiding something from her. As a good friend however, she didn't press on the issue for now. Had to be something minor, maybe shaken up by recent events. Nah, he'd been through worse, left him worse for wear too if she remembers how he met DL. This was something else. "Look, if you need to talk about something, just say so. We're partners, aren't we?"

The feral nodded. "I'm fine though… Really." He smiled. It was forced. Mostly… She can only smile back. "I think you should take the rest. I'm sure DL is gonna get an earful from the Commander."

* * *

HQ's rooftop happened to be the perfect place for private conversation. "Okay. So you thought to take advantage of your Vacation… To lead a Covert Team behind my back…?"

DL shrugged and impishly smiled. "I thought it would've worked at the time."

"DL, there is a reason why we keep in touch and why we at least let each other know what the hell is going on." He shook his head. "I don't want a repeat of what happened to Romeo. You risked these people's lives and your own."

The vixen leaned on the balcony railings. "We're fine pa, we would've been fine."

"It doesn't seem like it. Eliza took a bad hit, and you're saying that its fine!?" He shook his head. "Right now, the Conference is getting all worked up, and it's making it hard for people on our end to work with things right now."

"The Conference. Bah… A group of old farts with heads up their asses."

Reala agreed, but if Angels were going rogue around them and causing trouble out of nowhere, he had to keep a happy face to reel the rest in. Someone had to have been pulling strings. "I know you wanted to help, but you risked jeopardising not only the whole operation, but the safety of every man, woman and child." There was silence, no response… She only looked ahead to the city. The silence outstayed its welcome: "I know I'm sounding like a real bastard right now. But you know me…" She glanced at him and nodded.

Diana-Linda knew very well that her father could never stay mad at people he cared about. "Right… I get it pa, I screwed up."

Another awkward moment of silence.

The silence was broken as the wind flew by; Reala sighed and DL hummed. The both of them sent a glance towards each other. Both had glassy eyes, both were struggling to keep their sight on each other. Eye contact broke when DL returned to overseeing the city before her, and Reala turned away from his daughter.

"Well… Now what…?"

The Commander turned his head back: "I'll start re-arranging operations… I'll take Eliza in for training… As for you." A short pause… "O'five-hundred hours tomorrow, two thousand suicides, three hundred pushups, and five runs on the combat drill…"

"You're letting me off easy." DL noted.

"Am I now?" He asked.

"There used to be a time where you pushed my limits. Now I'm practically asking for it."

Reala smiled. "I could double that, and you'd still be ready for another go." A few steps closer to the elevator doors, he scoffed. "There was also a time where I didn't want you involved in any of this."

"What's stopping you from stopping me?"

As the elevator doors opened before him, he chuckled as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "I'm practically asking for it." He echoed before the doors closed behind him. Whilst the elevator slowly descended, his PDA rang. It was a message from Nikki. 'The Conference are holding a meeting. They're pissed. Meeting Room 4A' "I wouldn't doubt it."

* * *

Who knew that a meeting that included pizzas would just piss her off even more? Mason wanted peace or at least comfort when eating the delightful slices, not be berated by a few people. There were only a few members around to represent the Conference, but all of them were 'important' members. To Nikki, they were the 'oldies', ones who've been around since the conception of the group. Probably more than a few thousand years old.

You would expect someone at that age to have a clue about what they're saying. Well… "Regardless if they attack or cause trouble, their actions will be judged by US!" Ombra, one of the few 'first' angels. Like Nikki, he had silver strands of hair, but he wasn't a feral, though was also dark skinned. His eyes were both of a pale grey, almost as silver as his hair. He sported a white motif outfit, with a long-sleeve shirt, black tie and matching white denim. Most conference members unfortunately conform to this unholy style…

Nikki stood out among the four members in that meeting room, considering that she only wears her own sewn garments. As always, she said little to counter or respond to Ombra's statements. Not because she couldn't, but someone could easily say it better than she could.

The meeting room doors were thrown open by the appearance of Reala. Upon his entry, he quickly removed his jester hat, and removed his coat. They were both folded over his left arm as he held them against himself. "Sorry for the late arrival. Had to sort out a couple things." Without his coat, all he had were his pink long-sleeved shirt, a pair of expensive dress pants, supported by suspenders which also mounted two holsters for his oversized handcannons. A pair of brown leather shoes served to finish his appearance with simplistic finesse.

"Perfect. The jester arrives." The second representative said, rolling her eyes as she folded her arms. Micah: relatively short at five three, shoulder length brunette hair, ruby red eyes and of course, wearing the utmost unique outfit of the whole room... A white pair of denim jeans, long-sleeve shirt, black tie and grey boots. She wasn't far off from Ombra in terms of age, though trim it down at least one hundred and fifty years from Ombra.

Unlike Ombra who is passionate about complaining, Micah prefers to be snarky with everything. Perhaps not the best habit for an Angel. Perhaps she was passionate about being snarky in the first place.

The third Guardian who attended the meeting happened to be quiet throughout. He scoffed and tutted here and there, but towards his colleagues. A younger member, a kemonomimi feline with white shaggy hair to match his own extremely unique conformity. Being one of the younger members, he never exactly agreed with the oldies. Angelo; Gabriel and he go back, though Nikki doesn't know him very well.

Reala took a seat besides Mason, laying the foundations of his day to day outfit on his lap and relaxing in his seat. "So. I assume this meeting is about Charmeine?"

"Yes." Ombra shook his head. "She is a Guardian, and we Guardians will be the judge of another Guardian that has gone rogue. Understand?"

Reala shrugged. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." He said as he retrieved a pen from the table. "Instructions were a little unclear there."

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Ombra sighed and ran his hands through his head. "It is part of our rules that we handle our own people. You haven't any business with her."

Instead of listening to the representing Guardian, he simply fiddled with the ball point in hand. The silence in the room called his attention back however. "Hmm?"

"Will you take this seriously? Do you ever take anything seriously!?"

Reala flicked the pen aside. "Not you unfortunately."

Micah stepped in, growling as she leaned in pointing at the jester. "Listen here, you-…"

The Commander retorted with a glare, one that simply overwhelmed her confidence by sheer brutality. Such a stare could leave one emotionally drained, for it's not the judging eyes, but the dark feeling of paranoia that slowly builds up during his watch. Those two sky blue eyes become many, looking from hundreds of different angles, a gaze that pierces. "What was that…?" He asked, disrupting the darkening room around her.

Micah couldn't think of anything to say, and took her seat. The only audible response she had was her clearing her throat and gulping. Needless to say, it was accompanied by her glistening glowing face.

Once the brunette Guardian backed down, Reala turned his attention to the silver haired Guardian. "Do you actually think you know what you people are doing?"

Mason smirked as she leaned back in her seat when Ombra couldn't think of a response. "Lost for words?"

Reala stood from his seat, throwing his coat over his shoulders and pocketing his hat. Swaying his hair, he scoffed. "I'm not going to sit back and allow anyone, let alone a Guardian, go rogue and start causing a ruckus. There are no exceptions, so complain all you want. A word of warning from me: If I have to deal with any of you myself, don't expect a cakewalk."

"This coming from one of the last of his kind? Anat has been unkind as to such…"

The nightmaren stopped himself, but didn't turn back. There would be no benefit turning to him… "If the Conference happens to be the perfect group capable of protecting this world and its kingdoms… Tell me… Where were you when Valerie nearly unleashed hell on this earth?" Silence… "I thought so." And he continued out of the room.

Mason stood, and sent a mocking salute towards the two, though she sent a friendly, casual wave to the neutral Angelo, before following after the Commander. She jogged after the speed walking nightmaren, who continued his waltz through the busy halls as Egrets and other personnel passed by. "That was a low blow there, huh?"

"Honestly, I wanted to punch the smile off his face…"

"Well the good thing is that you didn't…" Because she had a feeling that the face would not be the only thing flying off. "So… What's the next step? We still have Charmeine."

"What do you mean, we 'still' have her? You said we arrested her, but I know you didn't bring her in when you arrived!"

Nikki laughed nervously. "Well… She's still in the car."

Reala stopped. "What do you mean… 'Still in the car'?" When Nikki's nervous laughter was followed up by an impishly guilty smile, he shook his head. "You threw her in the trunk of Gabe's car, didn't you?"

"Shamelessly."

"Oh my God, Nikki…" He only hoped that whatever Nikki practices… Sienna and Maud don't follow her lead. "Please don't tell me that you were about to tip the car over a cliff."

"Oh dear God no…" She shook her head. "We don't do that until AFTER we get all the information we need." She joked. "It'll be fine. What's the worst that can go wrong?"

Reala shook his head. "I'll find Gabe, and I'll speak to her myself. For now, please keep an eye on Eliza. Her nightmares have been playing up a bit."

Nikki nodded as the nightmaren left her among the crowd.

As for the nightmaren, he contemplated the current situation. The Guardians are right up at his neck like leeches, several members have gone rogue, a clone of one of their wanted enemies exist and they still need to find out why the players at the casino were eliminated. Since Marco was a sole survivor, he'll have to speak to him.

Somehow he felt that the Conference had some sort of connection to the murders, or at least a member or two. Perhaps the Conference's recent policy enforcement was a response to avoid the prosecution of members outside their party. Unfortunately, if it turns out that there are members organising these murders, the Commander will see to it personally… That is a promise.

At the very least, there hadn't been any mention of a Skullgirl. Almost a year ago, that encounter with Valentine left a very prominent fracture to the Canopy Kingdom. It has mended over time, but another brush with the Trinity's greatest creation is inevitable. Destroying one heart was merely cannon fodder, since there were plenty of candidates for the next heart. One Skullgirl caused much more damage than a yearlong military occupation in over two weeks.

Even he knew very little of them, but they seem to know a lot more about him. Obviously, that marks the Trinity on his list of high-risk targets. While he knows very little about them, according to sources, they originated as a peaceful trio who lived a sort of Haven a far while back. Sekhmet was known to have perpetrated a devastating attack that robbed the lives of Venus and Aeon, the only two daughters of Queen Lamia, leaving the Trinity a solo act.

Of course, their deaths didn't mean their deaths prevented their actions in its entirety. Perhaps Lamia fell to the same fate, and only continued the Trinity via members such as Double… Or was Double Lamia? Still… They employed Eliza the last encounter with the Skullgirl, and it seemed that she was coaxed into working for them. Samson notes that she was power hungry, so there isn't a doubt she only did it to score power in their world.

Since the Reapers had become a thorn in their side, no doubt Double, and any other members of the Trinity and affiliates, were pissed. The chances of the remnants of Valentine's truce being a danger was slim; Lorenzo was outclassed and out of power (and can't be a candidate for the skul hleart), Dahlia and Valentine were dead, the Medici Mafia had crumbled to oblivion, and demons already hate the Reapers in general.

He stopped. "Wait…" And then everything was clear… The Eliza clone's nightmares, the fact that they were unable to capture the Real Eliza, and worst of all… This was all happening at the same time as the fiasco with the Conference. Sekhmet was out there, and that spells bad news if the implications were correct… He didn't see the Clone's nightmare, but he felt the raw energy seeping from her as she slept. The mere mention of a Nilian deity from an Angel who shouldn't believe...

Turning back, he immediately rushed through the crowd, and even ran past Nikki (who happened to be taking her time).

Mason was smart enough to catch up to him. "Something wrong boss!?"

"A shit load of things wrong! Can you get Ombra on the line?"

Nikki produced her PDA and attempted to ring the Angel, regardless of her dislike of him. The line was completely dead. "Nothing."

"That's not good…"

Luckily they were able to reach one of the elevators before its doors closed, and an empty one at that. Next stop was the ninth floor, the Medical Ward, room thirty five. Producing his PDA, he called the first person he had in mind. The young dagonian Operator, Minette. Today, she was on GeoScape duty.

After a few flat rings, his call was connected, and from the other line: "Commander? What seems to be the problem?"

"Minette, scan for theonite levels, concentrated hotspots! Compare them with the last major read." He turned to Mason: "Where was Ombra from?"

The Private Eye thought back for a moment. If she remembers correctly, he has a knack for mentioning Nilian mythology. "Nilian? I don't know, no one had said anything about it!"

"What do we know from Marco? Anything that's big!"

"His father invested funds into a big company. But that's what he tells me. Something about 'Ra'…" An investment company that migrated most of their clients to other investors for a fee, whilst the few such as Bastet's Den, were sold very quickly due to certain complications.

"Ra…" Reala murmured, before delving back to his PDA. "Bastet's Den… Ra used to invest in that place… Doesn't the names correlate?"

"A Nilian God." Nikki whispered.

As for Minette: "Sir, levels have risen to critical levels. Just about as high as the last major recording."

"Send a warning out to the Operatives, get the word out!" The elevator stopped right at the floor they needed. Luckily, no stops. Rushing through the hallways with the Private Eye trailing him, he retraced his steps to the room. "Thirty three… Thirty four… Thirty five!" She was still there, resting, and Dima too. No subtlety required here, pushing the door open, he hurried in to the room.

His dynamic entry caught both Dima and Eliza by surprise. "Sorry to bother guys! Eliza, have you been having strange dreams lately?" The Doppelganger was still, not saying anything for a good minute. The only response she could muster up was a silent nod. "What did you see? What did you hear!?"

The dark skinned clone was adamant about staying silent, but she could see it in his eyes: concern and worry. "Someone asked… Sekhmet to make a wish. She sounded like…" A pause. "Me." Silence… "Is that… Bad?"

"Very bad…"


	4. Chapter 4: Sickled Pathway

"Power… Finally… Real power."

The dream… The same dream? No. It felt different from the last time. It felt lucid, beyond creative imagination going wrong. It was 'her' again, bloody in form. The crimson however was enhanced with an ominous turquoise glow. A windstorm of large white feathers, all stained at the tip with red, blew past her.

Eliza checked herself, and felt that she was indeed her own separate entity. 'She' was her own as well. Perhaps everything around her was a word of warning, but she couldn't make out what the details meant. But she knew that this was a sign of bad things to come… A statement to Reala's worry earlier.

The doppelganger approached from behind, not wanting to draw attention to herself. There was a pause… Looking at 'herself' left a bitter taste on her tongue, one she couldn't describe. Every second she stared just added to her distaste. With every passing second, the urge to kill the dream incarnation strengthened. "How vulgar… I should just get this over with, even if it is a dream."

"Oh… And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to…?" She speaks. And directly to the clone as well. As she turned however, Eliza palmed her by the back of her head, forcing her to look ahead. "Oh, I love surprises."

"I'm sure you do. But I'm not the kind of person for that." The clone noted as she forcibly held 'herself' by the back of her head. "You're a monster. Haven't you a sense of humanity?" A question that she knew 'she' wouldn't of cared.

"You sound familiar…"

"Oh yeah? Hmm. Interesting." She tightened her hold. "Listen here… I ever see you, I'll kill you myself. Something like you would ruin the place."

Reaching behind her back with a slab of blood turning into a sharp piercing pillar, Eliza quickly dived to her right, whilst the monstrous Sekhmet laughed manically. With a quick glance, she turned, smiling unnaturally wide. "Oh really?" She giggled. "I'd like to see that."

The Doppelganger stood from her kneeled position. There was no denying it: Two Eliza's exist, and only one of them had kept the name. Staring right down the face of Sekhmet, Eliza was disgusted by 'her' form. Another tense moment of silence… And then… She turned to look directly at her. One might mistake that moment for looking into a mirror. It was far from it.

A quick jump from her bed, body racing and panting for as much air as possible, Eliza nearly had lost it there. "Kuso…" She wouldn't be sleeping again tonight.

* * *

Having been invited by the likes of Reala, Albus and Horus followed the tall, bulky Commander to Eliza's designated room. When the two were informed that their operations would be transferred command from DL to this man, they were at first surprised. Of course, they were still promised the pay and shelter as DL did, though it would be over a different location. Horus didn't ask a single question, but Albus was openly curious about the whole thing.

Despite his eerie appearance, Commander Reala happened to be a friendly face, ironic as it may seem. Since the two will be working with the Egrets and Reapers, for the while, Reala was very open about the new world around the two. There were no secrets to hide, only answers to questions, from mundane questions about 'food', to the bigger questions like the Reapers purpose.

Of course, that last question hadn't a definite answer, but Commander Reala tried to answer it nonetheless. "Well… I created the Reapers as a means to survive, but my priorities shifted as it slowly evolved. But my reasons don't exactly mean it applies to everyone part of it, does it?"

"Everyone is different, I get that." Albus added.

Horus shook his head. "I don't see how you could be so…"

"Informal? Unprofessional?" The owl nodded in response. "I understand where you're coming from, but I think I've grown sick of it."

"Is it because everyone calls you somethin' like Boss or Commander?"

Reala scoffed. "Kinda. But it goes way back…" He paused, and his face was plastered with a solemn stare… And the world returned to him in a second as he bumped into a passing Egret, who apologised as she walked by. "Sorry… My mind slipped."

The owl raised a brow. "Something on the mind?"

Reala was silent, before continuing on. "Moving on… You two… You were Sekhmet's former bodyguards, weren't you?"

"Yes. But our contracts were terminated when we were found to be… Inadequate for the desired tasks." Compared to the likes of soulless and emotionless Stygian, these two, while a force to be reckoned with, were outclassed severely. Perhaps that's why DL was so adamant about training when they were assigned any. The day they met DL was a day that would change their lives, a curveball swaying aside the bat's path. But the two went far back.

Beforehand, they worked life and limb as Eliza's bodyguards. Sure she is more than capable of defending herself, but the stigma against theons would prove her undoing if she did. The both of them were strong men who worked different careers, ones that weren't desirable. Albus was a former Bouncer for a casino downtown, but the pay was bad and the horrible customers further exacerbated his disdain for the job.

'She' passed by that club, and contrived as it may be, 'She' witnessed his capabilities first hand when a few rowdy customers started a fight, that went as far to include a broken bottle, a pen knife and a chair. Bare fisted, big, and determined, he simply demolished the troublemakers. He could say that it was the height of his career at the time, but it ending up being the last straw when he was promptly fired for falling out of procedure.

The Crimson Scourge of course took the opportunity, and gave him an offer he couldn't hope to refuse… A wage that triples that of his old job, a lush home to stay with everything provided for him (which was Bastet's Den), and all he needed to do was act as a personal bodyguard. There was one condition: he would need a partner. The first few days was of course, his induction and introduction. Being ethnically Nilian himself, he understood the ancient motif that 'She' set for herself.

He would also come to know the creature behind the facade: her parasite, Sekhmet. Of course there was some sort of string he didn't notice, but the offer still stood. He probably wouldn't have found anything as good as she provided.

Horus was a different case. His past remains a mystery to the others, but not to himself. The past isn't something he wasn't proud of, in fact he was glad. Horus also hailed ethnically from Nile, but resided in the Chess Kingdom. In his younger years, he trained as part of the Chessian military, which took two years of dedicated training before he was put in to service. At the time, was the Grand War; the Chess Kingdom was disadvantaged due to the technological disparity versus the Canopy Kingdom and the general inferiority of physical power against the Gigan Nation.

Regardless, he pushed himself through those hard times, and proved himself among many his worth. Rifle in hand and a sense of unbeatable determination made him nigh unstoppable, and served him promotions to Sargent, to Lieutenant in a very short time. By the end of the Great War, he found himself fighting the Undead Legions of Queen Renoir, who had become the Skullgirl. The Great War ended, and another one started when all three major kingdoms banded together for the threat. While fighting off the Gigans and the Canopians was difficult, the undead legions proved a real challenge. His division struggled to hold against one assault alone that lasted hours…

And yet they did. And finally, that war ended with Queen Renoir. The rough experience he had with the military steeled him, and from there, he began moving up the scale with his skills. His services offered to anyone who could offer him the right pay. His services however were at the time, contracted by a popular singer in New Meridian, who had heard of his reputation among the few who have come across him.

That only meant 'She' was actively looking for him… And when she did, the offer was the same… All the small time jobs meant nothing at that moment, and he accepted.

The job the two shared was well paid for, with the luxuries making it an extreme pleasure to work their backs for the diva. Driving her around, keeping the paparazzi away, and proving their toughness against the determined fans who try to get too close. Other times, they're carrying her pedestal, but given all the benefits they're given, they were happy to.

As they stayed alongside their employer, she would fondly re-tell stories of her past, of how she dominated many, including two prominent Trinity members. Eventually, she would expand her horizons when she collaborated with the Medici Mafia, and she was given an exclusive spot to overview the underworld in its glory. The two were brought along for the ride, and boy, was it fun… The casinos, the lush riches and the ever so pleasing sounds of the Medici's (and by extension, their own) enemies being taken down. 'She' didn't have to rely on her blood drive charities any longer, but she held them to keep her public appearance up.

The partnership was permanently solidified when the Medici's offered Eliza something that she had been itching for… Real power. The offer wasn't as simple as a division of Voltage or the Mafia, they claimed it was far beyond that. When it turned out that the Medici's found themselves in a bind with the Skullgirl and the Trinity, she was more than willing to call it off… But it was a truce, and Valentine had the offer in hand. To fight a new enemy, the Trinity needed every asset they could find… And The Crimson Scourge, their once sworn enemy, became an important ally.

"We never saw it coming that day…" Albus noted.

It would come as a shock for the both of them when a few years later, their services would be superseded by the demonic forces, thanks to the unholy collaboration between The Crimson Scourge and the Skullgirl. The both of them knew of her disdain for the Trinity, but it was obvious that what happened changed her. Valentine gave her power, because it was anyone's guess that 'She' couldn't dethrone the Trinity because of Valerie herself. Valerie instead intoxicated her with power, a legion of demons under her control.

The Scourge had always wanted more power, to be adored and idolized… But the woman who ditched the two was someone entirely different: She was given a taste of a power she didn't expect to ever have… While she couldn't have the world, she could have a slice of the pie, a big one at that. Where did the two fit in? Not anywhere at that point.

The day they would meet Diana-Linda, would be the day they took to a small bar around the Pit-Stop between New Kord and the Canopy Kingdom. Couple drinks and contemplations of where to go from there. Despite the two differing in experience and expertise, they were well adjusted to each other's presence… They had become brothers in their own right.

Couple of the patrons were crowding a feral, a vixen by the looks of it. She had some bulk to her, but from a distance, most couldn't tell. At the time, she was wearing her usual setup of baggy combat denims, an unbuttoned shirt with a tank top underneath and a pair of black training gloves with metallic knuckles embedded. A glass of whiskey complimented her gruff.

Three guys, one lady. These patrons were eager, and tried to coax the vixen to come with them, and for horrible reasons of course. Even the bartenders couldn't get them to stop, but the lady was unfazed and apathetic to their demands. Eventually, she grew tired of their failed flirtation techniques, and she simply introduced them to a couple friends of hers: two fisted friends, 'Leftie' and 'Righty', and her best friend, 'Glassy'.

After giving the three men a good beating with few hits, she turned to the two… Her approach was hefty, every step a blast of thunder, the smile on her face that could unnerve a cold professional. 'I hear you two were pretty big in the Underworld scene… I have a proposition for you two…'

"I see…" Reala nodded, acknowledging the story. "Well. Sounds like you got more than you've bargained for."

"Really have." Albus agreed. "So now what?"

"I'll handle your operations from here on." Reala explained. "Though DL will be your go to once she's back into commission." He stopped. "So… This Eliza… What do you think of her?"

A moment of thought from Horace, but Albus was quick on his answer. "She's cool. Different, and granted that working with her means actual work." Though most of the work was assigned by DL, which involved moving a lot of stock and asking around town about anything going on in the underground scene. Most of the information the two could gain was garbled. The only place they never checked was Bastet's Den, since Cerebella had a handful of information, but of course they could blow their cover.

Working with DL and Eliza also meant working with Dima. Despite his size, Albus knows that his smaller stature meant very little. Dima was no powerhouse, but he had more than a few tricks up his sleeves, both shirt and pants. But back to Eliza, her quiet demeanour was a welcome change from the 'Original'. A complete contrast, this Eliza was both sarcastic, and conservative. At other times, she's fiery aggressive and yet oddly refined for it.

"I mean, sure we had a good time workin' for 'her', I'll admit that. But still, I feel like we're on a level playin' field."

Horus could agree on that. Rather than a subordinate, he was an equal, a comrade. "Where we run our strength carrying supplies and walking through the course streets of New Meridian with questions to spare. She works her magic, flaunting her borrowed fame in homes of delving deeper into finding the truth." DL's proposition was plain and simple: find all the breadcrumbs to the loaf. The truth about the Casino, and the murdered Angel.

"She doesn't like it. Hell, I'd love to be famous." Albus smiled. "The attention, the love from all those fans… The money!"

Horace nodded but grimaced. "Perhaps it's because she doesn't want to be famous with the former image. It wasn't earned."

Reala stopped himself, and the two behind him stopped as well. From his thought filled stare to the ceiling, he really knew why she didn't want fame. "Let's go."  
The owl adjusted his glasses. Something about Reala intrigued him… More so than 'She'.

"Hey. You guys mind if I join?" A familiar voice asked. The nightmaren turned to see it was…

* * *

It was another day, and another sleepless night. Eliza woke abruptly from her harsh slumber a few hours earlier. The room's chatter of machinery and medical devices beeping and chirping however kept her calm, accompanied her whilst she remained alone. That last dream… A stare to her, looking into a twisted mirror. 'She' was looking at her. But both knew it weren't a reflection, and both knew they were cells divided.

The mirror shattered from 'her' smile, and a flash of neon blue… And that dream was cut short. Still, it was unsettling… Did 'she' know that she existed? She sighed at the thought. What did the Commander mean last night? A powerful look of concern, but it wasn't just for her, it was like he was a leader fearing for their people.

Alas, train of thought was broken… The door knocked. A familiar face opened the door. Speak of the devil, it was the Commander. His worried face replaced with a welcoming smile yet again. "Sir?" Behind him, he was accompanied by Albus, Horace, and Dima. "Guys?"

"Hey Boss." A force of habit from the jackal's part. "We got your favourite!" He lifted the plastic bag, a familiar whiff of soy sauce, chicken, pork, duck…

The albino feline groaned. "Now I'm hungry." Steeling himself however, he approached the dark skinned amazon first. "You feeling alright?" He kneeled at her bedside.

"Yeah… Just fine." She nodded… Lightly.

The owl hummed at Dimitri's gesture. He was acting a little strange lately. At first he ignored it, but it's become persistent. There were no more visits from 'friends' since a few weeks back, and Dima became much more home bound at the warehouse. Upon their first meeting, he always found the feline leaving for the night, and returning with a 'guest'. While he was mutual with Eliza around their first few months, as time flew by, the two became a common sight as they walked and talked together.

But this was all from Dima's end. He knew the amazon hadn't a clue, or perhaps she only saw hints of it. That train of thought was interrupted when the Commander slapped his hands upon the two's shoulders. "Horus, Albus, I think we need to discuss certain matters. Dima, could you make sure that our good friend here is well fed and ready to go by tonight?" The owl could see in the nightmaren's eyes that they sent messages in volumes to the feral. He knew more than anyone what he was going through.

"But the boss… The food!" Albus complained.

"We'll buy some on the way. It's on me this time lads…" And the three made their way out, leaving Eliza and Dimitri behind.

Eliza shook her head. "A bit of an oddball…"

Dima agreed with a simple nod. Taking one of the boxes, he offered it to the Doppelganger. "We might as well not waste it. We should eat." He even placed a pair of chopsticks atop the foil box, for her convenience. As she reached out for it, he noticed that her hands were barely holding on. He didn't let go for her sake, and took the chopsticks by his left.

"Dima I'm fine…"

"Can I be the friend you need right now?" He asked rhetorically, popping the lid of the lid. A box of Fried Rice… Eliza was mesmerised as always by its dark tan of light soy sauce, the many bits and pieces of pork, chicken, garden peas and tidbits of egg. "Plus it saves you the trouble of dropping it everywhere, right?"

The Doppelganger grunted, but obliged… "Ahhh…"

With a mound of rice and its condiments held by his chopsticks, he brought it to mouth. "Good, huh?" He teased.

Eliza chewed, and nodded solemnly. She nodded once more as a thank you, staring at her friend. Dimitri couldn't help but notice that she was grinning as she did. Swallowing, she closed her eyes as she opened her mouth again.

Dima looked through the other boxes of Dragonian food, and found the bag of korokke's… Her favourite. Picking one from the bag, he brought it to mouth, and Eliza immediately realised what she had tasted. The sensational juicy taste of the potatoes which had been in turn, blessed with the juices of minced pork. "I knew how much you would love these… Tasty, huh?"

The Doppelganger nodded and chewed hurryingly. Half swallowing, she cleared her throat. "This is nice… A quiet dinner."

"Not exactly considering where we are."

"But I have a friend with me." Eliza retorted. At first, she didn't realise the impact of what she had said, but Dima paused as he was about to bring another korokke to her. Not just a simple pause; he was a petrified gargoyle! 'Was it something I said…?' "Dima?"

He shook his head. "Nanda…? Oh! Sorry I was… Just a little phased out there."

"I… Noticed." She raised a brow. "Something on your mind?"

"Nothing about the Reaper's at the very least…"

The Doppelganger reached out to Dima's hands. "I'll be fine… You don't have to worry about it." He probably didn't, but still… Something was bothering Dimitri and it had to do with her. What was it…?

* * *

"He's 'fang-whipped'…" Reala noted to the two.

"Eh? What's that?" Albus asked.

Horus removed his spectacles, using his sleeves to clean out the mist that had creeped up on the lenses. "I believe it has something to do with Dima." He raised a brow.

"It's a saying we use for Vamps… In love." Reala smiled as he walked with the two. He could tell just by looking at him, but for those without that savvy capability, he could feel his heart rate race, his body heat up at the presence of Eliza. The one visual cue that he had to see, one that wouldn't be noticeable to most, but noticeable from experience: The elongated fangs.

He had seen it the first time with Takamichi, and again for Dima's father. Both were at the time, trying to hide it from everyone, but they were noticeable in the presence of their lovers at the time. Dima was barely able to hide it; they weren't at their longest…

"In love? Dima? You seen the guy?" Albus noted. "He's been taking men and women for a little 'lovie-dovie' time like there's no tomorrow." The jackal chuckled. "Makes me jealous."

Horace however shook his head. "Perhaps we should consider the facts… Have you ever seen Dimitri show such gratitude to anyone as much as she?" A keen eye would notice it. To others, Dima may be just showing a spurt of minor affection, the hollow one he gives to those he had provided to those one night stands. Horace looked beyond that: Dima was alone in the world. He hadn't anyone to turn to, not in his blood at least.  
Sometimes, to be alone with someone else meant a lot, but this Eliza understood more than others, perhaps as much as Dima, what it means to be alone. "How contrived…"

Reala nodded, but smiled again. "Sometimes, good things just happen for no other reason hmm?" He stopped as when he noticed a feral, clad in his lion armour, outfitted with gauntlets and greaves to match…

"At least one person isn't too happy today…" Reala murmured.  
"Who's that guy?" Albus could tell he was asking for trouble. But Horace held him back… "What? He looks like serious business."

"One that doesn't involve any of us…" Reala explained. "Kazuo. A good friend of Dima… Was there when he went down…" He followed the feral as he made his way to the room. Dimitri was going to be given a very warm welcome from his former best friend. "Captain."

Kazuo paused and looked back. "Commander…"

"I'd advise you leave them alone for the time being… He's helping a friend recuperate."

Foxhound turned forwards. "It's an invitation, sir." Opening the door, he entered slowly… Steps were far from quiet, instead they planted with a thud, invocative of thunder. His eyes first turned to the dark skinned patient… A striking familiarity, the eyes of clear skies, the tall, voluptuous, bulky yet elegant build and short hair down to her cheeks. The visual appeal didn't hide a dark secret either, unlike the last one who had that appearance.

The albino feral however needn't much to describe. He looked just about the same as he did a year and a half ago. The hair slightly longer. Both were interrupted from their meals. Most of it had been eaten anyways. Dima had the chopsticks, but this woman had the hunger. The woman was unfamiliar with the dark and reddish feral. The albino feral however…

He stood, slowly setting aside the half eaten container of food. An ever so slight turn: the red eyes were the dead giveaway. It was a standoff…

"Kazuo…"

"Dima…"

The dark woman would've stood, but Dima halted her. It was their fight.

"I mourned you… I was there at your funeral."

"I know." There was a pause… Then Dima turned to his old friend. It was him alright. No doubt about that. Kazuo hadn't changed much, but he donned the armour he once felt uncomfortable with, with a sense of pride matched only by his determination. "If you have a tooth to pick outta me, we do it outside, and later on."

Kazuo's response? His body already charged itself with its blue, ominous lightning, his right hand tightened. "I don't like waiting…"

Dima tightened his own fist, and took an everlasting breath as his body glowed a golden blonde… Both smugly grinned.

* * *

Filia and Sienna rode in towards HQ. A couple days ago, word travelled fast of Squigly and Micheal's recent plans. The start of something new. They will be leaving next week. Leviathan was nestled in to his host's head, but had fallen asleep at least halfway through the drive. Samson followed suit, which both Squigly and Filia could tell from the loud snoring. Either that… Or the constant chatting about 'plans' for the two bored him to death.

"So the Chess Kingdom seems like a great place, but the Dragon Empire has so much culture behind it." Filia said, nodding to herself as she parked her 4x4 directly outside the tower HQ. "Then there's the Nilian States."

Sienna nodded. "I hear that the popular singer, Alex .A will be at the Dragon Empire."

"Alex Ahad?" Filia asked, pointing to the popular artist who wasn't a singer by any stretch of the imagination… Unless he was.

"No, Alex Aguinaldo! You know, she's a new hit sensation."

Filia's mouth smiled wide as she nodded to herself. The name hit her immediately, a voice that had become popular for her wide vocal range. Singing probably wasn't the only thing Aguinaldo could do, that voice could cater to millions! Her next tour will be at her home town of Pacific Island within the Dragon Empire. Nikki liked her for having a taste in rock music.

But the decisions were varied. She didn't know which to pick. Mick wanted Sienna to pick their honeymoon venue, before the wedding comes around. Though that would leave the rest to work with the current case at hand, and whether it follows them out to where they go for their time off was also another consideration.

Still, Filia was worried for her friend. "I mean… you guys have only really been together for a year. You really sure you guys are ready for it?" Anyone could pop the question. Could one really be ready for it when they do? Medici acknowledged how Micheal was loyal, his drive stemming from an emotional attachment. Who else would fall for a dead woman walking like Contiello? Who would go that far to give her a sense of life when she was undead? Who would listen to her harsh past and stick by her as close as possible?

Perhaps Mick was more than ready to ask the question. Sienna… Accepting it was brave on her part. Maybe saying yes wasn't such a bad idea. Mick was very happy to stand to Squigly's side as she leads on as his Captain, and certainly it applies in the relationship as well. Even Nikki is confident in their choice.

There was a strange parallel between Squigly and her mentor/mother in-law, Nikki. Both lost their family members, and yet both came back stronger and tougher. Contiello's attitude had evolved from the pure, innocent lady-like attitude to the elegant, refined and yet rough attitude she has today. Anyone can tell she had changed… All she needed to do was pick up a gun willingly and use it. Perhaps Nikki's influence was responsible for that. Or perhaps this was her way of crushing her former fear.

A far cry of what she used to be, Sienna Contiello returned from the dead stronger than before, for better or for worse.  
A turn, and a change of subject was also in order. A call back to recent events. Medici had moved on from the incident at the hospital. The nurse that was hurt, Kyanna, was alive and well. A broken leg but nothing permanent according to the doctors. The surviving attacker, Buxton, was still incarcerated at the main HQ. All that anyone could get out of him was that he was hired, and that the person who had paid him didn't show a face but gave the name 'Abacus'.

Whoever this 'Abacus' was, she would have search for the clues. There had to be breadcrumbs somewhere. Cerebella might have an idea of where to look, and Yu-Wan certainly knew some shady characters. "I'm still wondering… Why would an Angel such as Charmaine and Anya go rogue?"

Sienna shrugged. "I'll take a shot at the dark. Perhaps they're sick of how people only get worse… In general, I mean."

"Yeah… But there has to be something more than that."

"Anya did say she didn't care about humans anymore. So what was the motive then…?" She asked, the question applying to herself and the Medici Detective. The Conference apparently did nothing during the last fight with the Trinity, perhaps they didn't care for it.

Sienna sighed. "I just hope another Skullgirl doesn't pop up anytime soon." It'd only serve to escalate the situation at hand.

Passing through the security checkpoint, Egret Soldiers led the vehicle towards one of the available parking spaces. The 4x4 stopped right outside the building, and one masked Egret soldier gave a thumbs up. The usual procedure. Filia was first to leave the vehicle, Sienna following suit. "We miss anything?" Medici asked.

The egret soldier nodded. "We heard that two operatives were going at each other in the medical ward. Might wanna get up there, I think they're with you."

"Huh?" Strange. Perhaps Kazuo knew what was going on. "Let's go."

"I wonder who's going for the other's throat."

Sienna nodded as she pushed the door closed from her side. As the two walked towards the main doorway, they halted at the loud crash of shattering glass. Both looked up, and saw the sparks of blue, coupled with shades of yellow. Kazuo definitely knew what was going on. Filia took a close look at where the sparks flowed from. Judging by distance, probably the sixth floor. Medical Ward.

Taking the first elevator up, Medici tapped on her head to wake the mop of hair. "Samson, you switched on?"

"Five more minutes…" He groaned.

"Fine then. We got this." She nodded to Squigly. Leviathan was awake himself, and shook his head at his lazy friend.

Contiello nodded as she rolled up her sleeves and tuned her synthetic left hand. They had to be prepared of course, it could be a real enemy attack! Two… Three… Four… Five… "Six." As the doors opened, both Medici and Contiello prepared themselves to rush to the fight. Instead of running out and bolting to assist their comrade, the fight came to them as Kazuo, and an albino feral, went at each other. The unknown feral was familiar to the two…  
As they stepped out, the two halted at the sight of a dark skinned amazon, who wore only a hospital gown. Leviathan and Samson particularly halted as the woman looked exactly like the woman they detested the most. She didn't react to them however. It was that same woman Filia saw at the school… She hadn't a reason to fight her. This woman wasn't the Eliza they knew.

The woman took to the downed feral.

But it seemed as though the fight stopped there as the two knelt down, panting for air… Kazuo stood after a moment to catch his breath, though still slumping over with hands resting on his knees to keep him up. "Two years… Two fuckin' years…"

The albino, panting, still struggling to stand, nodded. "Chalk it up to complications. We can go like this all day Kaz." Though there was a hint of doubt in his own words.

The woman shook her head, perhaps to dissuade him. "That's enough."

Kazuo declined the offer and shook his head. "I'd just kick your ass again Dima… Have to admit, you got better."

Dima…? Filia approached and offered a hand to him. There was something she and Sienna missed, but she wanted to know more. Dima took the offer, and stood with the woman by his side. "Dima… Dima Roy?"

He nodded. The dark skinned amazon had him wrap his right arm around her shoulder. "I can walk…" Dimitri said sheepishly. She ignored him. "I'm guessing you're also gonna give me a lecture about how my father died."

Medici shook her head. "We should be celebrating you're here. Your father would've had it him more than you." It's not as good as having both alive, but at least someone made it. "So you didn't die then?" Something she missed?

"Almost… Actually…"

He was a hybrid preternatural. Of course the way his body worked was different to how hers and Sienna's did. Did he die and revive by chance? Was there intervention? Questions for another time. "For now, I think you need some rest."

The woman shook her head. "Irony Dima…"

"At least you're feeling better…"

* * *

"World's in good shape… Remnants of the Medici are bailing out, trying to move towards the outskirts of the city, Voltage is in ruins, and not a Stygian in plain sight. That's all the good news." Parasoul noted to herself as she read a report conjured by Minette. Good news aside, now the bad news. "Two FNGs, completely fresh FNGs…"

Her reading was interrupted when she bumped into Adam. The apathetic look on his face said it all: He wasn't looking forwards to giving the two the run down. "Sorry if I'm putting you on the spot for them Adam. Reala needs to get them up to scratch. They have basic Civilian Training."

Civilian training however isn't what the Reapers and Egrets needed. "We'll set up a CQB test today. What's on the news other than them?"

"Reala has initiated a Code Red, Skullgirl. Not even seven years and we're dealing with another one. I'm arranging a meeting with the Gigans, the Chessians and Dragonians tomorrow. We all need to be aware of the situation."

Adam nodded. "Should we expect another big company to back the next Skullgirl?"

"Whatever we're dealing with, it's not going to be good. I will also speak to Reala. He has a feeling that someone else is playing foul." She sighed. "As for the two new ones, I'll oversee their CQB test later on. Make sure they're prepared for the worst." A nod, and the Queen continued on as Adam took a left turn.

Conveniently, Adam bumped into an old comrade… Gabriel. "Magilligan? Didn't expect to see you around these parts. Wouldn't you usually be workin' round at New Kord?"

"Got assigned to this place."

"Assigned or you assigned yourself?"

"Both." The feral noted. "Gonna be workin' wit' the new lasses hmm? Lemme help you out on that."

Adam chuckled. "Just try not to make their lives a pain." He knew how hard he pushed Carol, but Carol was capable of handling it. Could these two new combatants handle what they were about to face? Perhaps, but from what was said, they were both normal humans, their only saving grace was Ripple energy.

Gabriel was always specific of what was needed in the kill house and range. He was also specific to how the two should be kitted out, and in most cases, anyone under his wing are given heavy vests, with munitions and equipment. This would be coupled with a full run through the standard course, not even Egrets were forced to wear full gear in standard training procedures.

Weapons for the shooting range are always based around the standard UF45 and the Vladof rifles. Both M1 and M2 models. The Kill House however will have a selection to cater to their taste. Something bothered Adam however: "Why do you guys bother running through military training?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you guys are powerful beings capable of taking on demons in one on ones or more, and yet you continue to use standard procedures and equipment." To a degree of course.

Gabriel scoffed. "Can you imagine the damage that could be done if we all went about and used it? If a bullet, or a hail of them, can kill stygian, we prevent unnecessary damage. It's basically a last resort." Knowing the many preternaturals that are now part of the Reapers, the chaos that can ensue if they were allowed to brandish their abilities would be catastrophic. "We can't individually match the Skullgirl and her minions, but in our groups, in large numbers, we could."

If one Skullgirl was capable of city wide destruction in mere seconds, another force capable of matching her would only escalate the situation to a beyond recoverable state. The Egret Captain acknowledged, and nodded as a token of gratitude.

Perhaps that's why most of the Second Generation of Reapers had to go through the Academy program before they were allowed to join. Few exceptions of course, but they were given important crash courses in the matter. The Reapers were mildly military, not formally.

* * *

Aching legs, one can deal with. Aching and heavy? Not a combo anyone would want to handle; unfortunately, Maud found herself on the receiving end of some very unforgiving training. 'Luckily', she was accompanied by the dark skinned amazon from yesterday, who was just recently released from the medical bay. A surprisingly quick recovery from what she took yesterday, perhaps it wasn't as bad as it looked.

Both of them were clad in standard Egret gear, including fully loaded magazines, training grenades and other bits and bobs that a typical soldier would wear. They were tasked with running the standard obstacle course, one where Egret soldiers would run without the equipment. Of course it wasn't mandatory in the field… whoever assigned them this task was either sadistic, or was testing them beyond their comfort zones.

Rihfort spent the whole run complaining, which conflicted with her constant breathing. Her Ripple energy would've allowed her to keep going with little ill effect, but required controlled breathing. This 'Eliza' however, did keep a constant breath, and pushed through. From what she could feel, Maud deduced that the tall dark woman's Ripple wasn't as powerful, and she only made it through pure determination.

Eliza… She looked the part, but according to reports the stories from Kazuo, this 'Eliza' wasn't the real one. The 'Real' Eliza was a ruthless theon user, who assisted the last Skullgirl, and nearly wreaked havoc upon New Meridian. A self-centred megalomaniac who sought it out through any means. The details were sparse, but she'll take their word for it. Whoever this Eliza was, she was different: a conserved and yet implacable woman. Her ripple may not be strong due to the lack of formal practice, but how she was able to hold herself in that last fight, and today's run without exerting her aura spoke volumes about her.

By the end of the run, tired and panting for air, she did not however thank the relief. She was quiet, a barely visible grin swiped upon her face.

The two were allowed to take off the gear beforehand, and were directed to the 'Kill House', a warehouse with a speed oriented obstacle course, with live use of ammunition. A popular test according to Egret soldiers and some of the Reaper members. The walk was silent, which wasn't much of Rihfort's style.

But to the surprise of the Chessian, 'Eliza' spoke first: "You're new as well, huh?"

"Pfft. If only by a day or two." She scoffed. "You're a Ripple user too? Not bad, with the blood thing back there. Icky, but still."

"Well, it's better than getting too close when you don't have an opening to work with."

That was true. "So, how'dya find out you had it?" The amazon hummed to herself, her eyes looking into the sky for an answer. A shot in the dark: it was a spontaneous discovery. Ripple was a strange power, and who can utilise it, it was never guaranteed to anyone. For the people who can use it, all have come from different backgrounds, all have run into different roads. Perhaps Eliza was just one of those who was chosen by the random draw from a hat.

Eliza sighed. "It's not that I asked for it. But I guess it fits me. Not exactly normal…"

An echo that she didn't expect to hear, but it called back for its spotlight in the young Chessian's mind. She wasn't normal herself, at least not anymore. "Pfft. A load of shit. No such thing as normal. I mean, if you think about it, if we were all 'normalized', we'd be the fuckin' same."

The doppelganger nodded. "Perhaps. But you know, I once had a thought: what if it were the roads that split people like us, from the people who don't fight, the people who are too busy to realise the danger that befalls their world?"

It felt like there was some sense of normalcy with that idea. When she thought about how she had coaxed herself to be a Reaper, it started to feel much more apparent. Normal people, the masses of civilians, all were just humans/ferals that want to live their lives, and didn't have a great as a responsibility. For all intents and purposes, both Ripple users were initiating themselves to be 'freaks'. They had a responsibility to save the world from its dangers, something that a normal army couldn't do, but at the same time. They had a responsibility to help the people.

"So if you ever met your 'real' self, what would you do?"

"Honestly, I don't know. She's leagues above what I can do." She adjusted her cap. "But if she pisses me off, I won't hesitate to step in her way." Maud stopped, and took a moment to review the angered tone of voice… She wasn't kidding.

The two stopped in front of the warehouse, one with a large red 'KH' on it, exactly as marked. Maud and Eliza paused for a moment as the shutters before them opened. As the darkness flowed out from the contents of the building before them, so did several masked Egrets, and a familiar face back at the school. Maud knew him as Gabriel, others noted him as 'Frost'. A feral who stood as tall as the doppelganger, wearing a custom sewn long trench coat. One of the Egrets before them wore no mask, with short grey hair, pale skin and blue eyes. They all stared.

"The FNGs." The unmasked Egret noted.

The feral shook his head. "Right. Welcome to the Kill House lasses. Personally my favourite place to shoot some steel, and prove a point. You two will run the course. One at a time of course." He sent the other Egrets behind him aside, the unmasked one stayed however. "Maud and Eliza, right? Heads or tails?" He produced a small coin.

Eliza hummed. She nodded to herself. "Heads."

At the flip of a coin, the unmasked Egret caught it. With a quick peak, he nodded. "Maud's up first." Both were invited to climb a set of stairs to oversee the course. "I'm Captain Adam, and you already know Frost. This is the 'CQB' scenario, you have ten positions to work with. You got bad guys, and good guys. Easy to tell since we marked the bad guys as blue, and the good guys as red."

"Red is the heroic colour in my opinion." Frost added. "You have a selection of equipment here, all carbine sized. Got your MP5S1, nine millimetre goodness, compact. Got your U2, slightly bigger but packs more punch, and standard sidearm."

Maud shook her head. "More running… Oh my God…" At the very least, she was finally allowed to shoot something.

"On your mark lass. Best time is currently held by Filia for first try. Good luck. Grab the rope when you're ready." Once Maud was kitted out with an MP5S1, she rappelled down.

Gabriel nodded at the facts: Rihfort was mildly military at best. Her stamina allowed her to keep pace and push on through the dirt and turn corners effortlessly, but when it came to laying down the law, her shots were off centre. A lousy shot, it could cost her a great deal with the standard fair of equipment. She didn't lack in the melee department however when he saw her cleave through one of the targets that popped in front of her.

Maud rushed in head first, and took her shots close to compensate her lack of formal firearms training. That will be something she'll need to work on. There were a few 'civilian' casualties that she had caused due to her inaccuracies. Then there was a second glance. He then realised, that the shots were indeed well placed, at least for what she was aiming for. She attacked non-vital points of her targets, points that would leave them incapacitated. The shoulder, the left or rightmost, around where the arms would be… However, whether it would be wise to implement such tactics against the enemies they will be facing is something they will find out.

Excelling in close quarters meant however was good, and her Ripple focused training meant that the closer she was, the better chance of her gaining control of a situation. Physically, she went above and beyond some of the members in the Reapers, he'd go as far to say that her own physical strength overshadowed mainstays, Kazuo and Sienna. From a mortal, that's incredibly rare, even more so that her body wasn't huge to match her strength.

Maud was a diamond in the rough, and a little bit of polish and fine tuning, and she could wow the world. An unflinching charge against the world, to firmly grasp at its saving grace.

By the end of the course, Maud caught her breath. Gabriel smiled at her time, and while she didn't beat Filia's of twenty-eight and a half seconds, Maud was trailing over three seconds behind. Eliza was up next. "Just come up back to the stairs. 'Liza, you're next. Grab the rope when you're ready."

Eliza was quick on the draw when it came to kitting out. She went for the U2, and was already at the rope once she secured it around her shoulder by its strap. There was a big difference in how Maud and Eliza handled the course. Whilst Maud ran in and took close shots, Eliza was methodological in her approach. Whilst she ran head first to enter the course, she instead she knelt to take shots at the targets. Whatever training DL provided was proving its worth, as she was smacking down targets and missing civilians.

By the first few rows, she was already moving up, and still moved at a slowed yet hasty pace. With each group of targets presented, she went for two or three-shot bursts, centre mass or a single round to the head. Her slower pace allowed her to take in the situation around her, and she remained calm enough to be both a quick shot, and a good one.

Much like Maud, targets that popped in front of her at close quarters didn't last more than a second. And that short display of physical power was beyond mesmerising. Using a tube of stored blood, most likely extracted earlier, she formed a flurry of fists. Her Ripple made use of thinly spreading and shaping the blood, and she speedily smashed at the target before her. A show of unnecessary brutality, it was however nonetheless effective. Even Maud was left speechless…

While Eliza didn't brute force her way through to a resolution, she was indeed a brutal fighter. Of course, it was due course for whom she is attacking, but there was a hint of honour, she was holding back. The blood punches were precise as they were fast, but Maud cut through her target, and would've killed a man if applied the same, Eliza however preferred a show of percussive force. There would be a chance her target would live.

A stark contrast to Sekhmet, the Doppelganger was an honourable fighter; she was however not afraid to show excessive force. Neither was the former spoilt brat, perhaps her first kill matured her. Both however still have long roads to go, and have untapped potential.

And the clone finished two seconds shy of Rihfort, but all were impressed by her balance of different skill sets despite her lack of formal training. Adam nodded. "Not too shabby. They both did well on their parts."

"Right." Gabriel nodded, and raised his voice: "Alright, you two are done for the day. Nikki will pick the both of you up." The two ladies nodded as they left their equipment on the table, and were lead out the warehouse by Adam.

The unmasked Egret was more than impressed by the two. It's easy to forget that they had been employed just recently. "I'll be looking forwards to working with the both of you in future."

The red head smirked as she folded her arms. "Of course."

Eliza simply adjusted her cap as she silently nodded in acknowledgement. She didn't overstay her welcome, and walked on.

Maud followed. "Bit hasty there, huh? What's on the mind?"

"Bit of a thought on the mind."

Rihfort tutted. "Don't tell me this shit's getting to ya already."

"Not that kind of thought. It's something that popped up earlier." She adjusted her cap once more. "He's a good friend, see."

The red head raised a brow: "That guy who kinda look like a chick?" While he was no manly man, there was some sort of odd charm to him that she liked. "Would bang. Would you?" Eliza hummed at the question. "Well?"

"I'm speaking as a friend of his, and right now I'm worried about him."

"Well you're no fun." Rihfort murmured. "So? Like what, he acting like an idiot or something?"

The Doppelganger rolled her eyes. "No, not that. It's something more personal." She slipped her hands into her pockets. "He's kinda alone in this world." Maud stopped herself. The hint of playfulness faded as she folded her arms, turning to her comrade. The dark skinned amazon stopped as well. "I understand it all too well."

Rihfort folded her arms. "Lay it on me."

Eliza sighed as she looked to the sky. She had a long story to tell.

* * *

Adam passed the warehouse once more and gave a nod to the Egrets who had stepped aside, and Gabriel joined him as the two left. The masked Egrets revealed their faces. Filia, Kazuo, Klo and Knee, hidden in plain sight. The two Captains nodded and acknowledged the fresh meat that they have acquired. Gabriel had them watch in the first place to have their say.

Foxhound hummed. Both had their strengths and weaknesses, but for new blood, the both of them were well above the average. "Eliza's scoring hits left and right, but a bit slow for that matter."

Samson agreed. Though he was hesitant about this 'Eliza' due to the uncanny resemblance to her origin. Regardless, her calculative skills were notable. "That Maud chick was pretty head strong, a little clunky though." But she wasn't too far from his host's record. Perhaps being knee-deep against a horde of demons or dead, being careful wouldn't matter as much due to the chances of civilians sticking around being low. It could put her at a disadvantage against hostiles who prefer to think first then attack.

Medici took note of her theon's thoughts. Eliza may have to think to achieve goals, but this would prove useful when taking on tougher, calculating opponents. But Carol did explain how ferocious she was when she took on Ariel back at the school. Perhaps she was driven by anger in such instances. Would it be a weakness, or strength?

Klo pointed out the differences in their shooting. Both could be counted as civilians, and for Maud, it shows. For Eliza however, she was well within centre mass, some were headshots. "Eliza's shootin' is quite good. Better scores on target than your last run Kaz." He affectionately mocked his Captain. But Kazuo agreed.

The red skinned demoness smiled. "A good eye perhaps? For shooting that is."

"Well then, she's under your charge then. Show her a couple extra ropes, accentuate that strength." He turned to Klo. "Maud can be under your charge. She's mean, lean and I think she'll love to get her hands on a machinegun."

Samson scoffed. "A bitch though."

"Don't be so mean Samson." Medici cleared her throat. "Kazuo'll work with the two in the 'close encounters' part. We're crash coursing at best, so make the most of what we can teach 'em."

Foxhound nodded with eyes closed. "You're visiting the Den today?"

"Gotta speak with Cerebella about something." Samson explained as his host prepared to leave. "If a Skullgirl really is about, something's up, right?"

Knee stretched herself out. "Yeah. Mind if I tag along, Caps?" Kazuo gave a silent thumb up whilst Klo tapped her shoulder before buddying up with Foxhound to leave. A wave goodbye, and the four split into their respective twos.

"Tonight would've been boring. Doc is gonna be busy at the Medical Ward today."

The mop of hair groaned. "They always keep him there late at night, huh?"

Medici shook her head. "They should give him a break. I would've expected him to have bolstered the recovery rates by now."

"New arrivals."

"New arrivals?" She didn't know of any recent major operations. "What happened?"

Knee shrugged. "Squad on patrol. These guys turned up after a patrol down Innsmouth. Apparently someone attacked them." Which should've been unlikely due to the friendly reception from the residents. Whatever happened at Innsmouth, it didn't mean good news. Details were sparse, but the bystanders heard nothing strange at the time. The patrol squad were covered in cuts and bruises, and yet they should've been armed.

Icing on the cake happened to be the strange feather that was found placed atop one of the Egrets at the time. It was taken in for evidence. "Perhaps another Rogue Guardian?"

"That'd be too easy." Medici noted. Or perhaps that's what they wanted the Reapers to think. "Was the feather white like the others?"

The demoness waved her right side to side. "White and red. I don't mean stained red, I mean natural red. At least that's what Doc tells me." Now that she said it, even that didn't sound right at all. A Guardian of any nature would either have black, white or a combination of both, feathers. Doc had black feathers due to his Nephelim nature.

It all sounded amiss. Perhaps there was more to recent events than a few Guardians going rogue. The thing that Filia was interested in, was how Knee didn't make a snarky comment about the Guardians. "Not one to joke about these people, huh?"

"If you think about it, there's very little difference between us. When we're down on the ground, we're just people." The thought made her chuckle. "There was a time where I thought I was better than people."

Samson and Filia both raised a brow, but the theon asked first: "What changed your mind?"

"I cried."

Such a quick response, and without any shame either. There's a saying that Nikki and others love to echo: 'Devils never cry'. It sounded like something from an anime or manga, but of course, emotion makes someone human. "Must've been a very important moment for you." As it were for herself when she cried… The two had common ground.

The demoness smiled, before leading on towards the parking lot.

* * *

The Nilian theme of the club was both familiar and yet foreign to the albino. He had visited Bastet's Den previously when he and Diana-Linda found the Doppelganger. He was notified of its refurbishment, and popularity not shortly after his official return. Perhaps he could get a drink, and maybe a… "Who am I kidding…" He said to himself as he took a seat at the counter.

One of the bartenders overheard him, and raised a brow. "Something on the mind?"

Dimitri turned to her, she had mint green hair and darkened skin, nowhere near as dark as Eliza's however. It was more of a hazelnut dark versus the oaken dark. She wore a blazer over her blouse and tie. "Sorry. Just had a thought to myself."

"A very loud thought." She took a glass. "Anything you fancy?"

"Vodka. Actually, Osaka Dry."

Setting the glass aside, the bartender took a bottle of vodka and a bottle of warm sake. She juggled the bottles like an expert, and stopped herself as she filled the glass with the two liquors. Setting the bottles aside, she retrieved cracked ice with her left hand, and then garnished the finished produce with sliced pickled plum. She silently handed the drink over with a smile.

Dima took the concoction to hand, and sipped… "This is good stuff!"

"A lot of people happen to order it here." The bartender noted, leaning her elbows on her side on the counter: "So, tell me your woes."

"Is that what you do when guys or girls like me pop around?"

"My customers are important to me after all." She winked playfully. "Cerebella."

"Dimitri. Call me, Dima. Most people do."

The bartender chuckled. "I know who you are. Just didn't expect you to pop around." She pointed at the small badge that carried the thorny rose insignia over the breast pocket of her blazer. "No discounts though."

Dimitri nodded. "So… Where do I start?"

"From the beginning, perhaps?"

"Then you must know who else had just joined up."

Cerebella chuckled: "Other than Alpha Bitch, yeah. She looks exactly like the real thing, and Sekhmet's a looker." A patron to her right requested a top up for their pint glass, and she delivered in seconds, with the cash returning in due fashion. "I might have to bring her around. I think she'd love the place. Experience the glory first hand of what Sekhmet used to have."

Dima nodded silently as he lifted the glass to lips.

"So what about her?"

"She's a good friend."

"Oh really?"

Dima nodded. "Been there for me the past few months. I'm sure you understand what I'm going through right now." Cerebella nodded. "She doesn't speak too much, but when she does, she's… How do you say…? Kinda like… Wise?"

"Profound?"

The albino feline nodded. "Really understanding too."

"Don't tell me you're…" She leaned in: "Fang-whipped." The feral felt his heart stop, and his body paused along with it. "Was I spot on?"

Snapping out of his trance, he sheepishly nodded. "I know how to talk to a girl or guy. She isn't just some girl or guy though."

Cerebella nodded. "I know how you feel. What you know doesn't always exactly work with certain people, and especially jarring when that person is different." But different is good. Eliza seemed a nice woman, at least from others say. She would like to meet the clone in person. "She was born alone in this world, and you're all alone."

"Of course, but I share that loneliness with friends."

"Perhaps." Dima sipped away… The glass slammed on to the table, ice clinking away. The giggling bartender refilled his glass. "Don't tell me you're gonna sit back and miss the opportunity. You better win her heart."

"How do you suppose I do that?"

Cerebella smiled. "You are her best friend right now. No one knows her better."

And Dimitri quietly took to his drink once more.

"You're happy to be alone. But you really want to share your loneliness with her."

The feral smiled. "Yes… I do."

"I've heard the stories. Of 'you know who' and..."

Dima nodded. "My father. My mother."

Cerebella topped up his glass with another shot of vodka. "Doesn't it get tiring to be alone? I mean, you may be able to speak to 'her'."

"Perhaps." Dimitri took the shot, and exhaled with relief. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea. But one problem at a time."


End file.
